NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS) would like to recognise and celebrate the contributions made by applied health and social care researchers during the last 12-18 months with examples of excellence in the contribution of research to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, including:-

• Research with under-represented groups and communities.
• Project/s that demonstrate excellence in EDI through participation, involvement, co-production and engagement.

Researchers are invited to submit a poster that should include aims, objectives, what they have achieved so far, what they have learned and what has excited them.

The competition will be judged by a panel drawn from ARC KSS’s Organisation and Research Capacity Group (ORCA), Developing Research Careers Group and Public Advisors.

The winner and two runner ups will be invited to present their poster at the ARC KSS Research Week Symposium on 23 June 2022.  All other poster entries will be available to view on the ARC KSS website throughout  ARC KSS Research Week (20-23 June)  and displayed at the Research Week Symposium.

The winner will receive a £150 training bursary and second prize winners a £100 training bursary.

Deadline for competition entry – 17.00, 20 May 2022

For more information please read this document.

At Kent we are committed to providing a healthy and fulfilling working environment and improving the working lives of all of our staff.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) describe wellbeing as:

“‘more than an avoidance of becoming physically sick. It represents a broader bio-physical construct that included physical, mental and social health. Well employees are physically and mentally able, willing to contribute in the workplace and likely to be more engaged at work’

We therefore believe it’s important to support the health and wellbeing of our staff and prevent work associated ill health, both for the overall benefit to staff, as well as the University as a whole. We’ve therefore created this toolkit, which aims to support the wellbeing of staff by providing information on the wide range of resources available at Kent.

Wellbeing encompasses physical, mental and social health, and recognises that employees’ values, personal development and work environment all contribute to overall wellbeing at work. For that reason, this toolkit has been developed using the CIPD’s seven recognised domains of wellbeing.

• Health
• Good work
• Values/principles
• Collective/social
• Personal growth
• Lifestyle
• Finance

There is no one size fits all approach to wellbeing. Throughout the toolkit you’ll find information, advice and guidance on each of the seven domains. This toolkit details the different elements of workplace initiatives and activities that are available to support the health and wellbeing of our staff under each domain.

From John Sotillo | Director of Information Services 

Following the disruption to our IT services last week, I’m pleased to confirm that the majority of our systems are now back online across the University. The outage was the result of a detected cyber-security incident and the necessary steps we took as a precaution to manage this. For some colleagues, the recovery from the original incident will take some time and we are working closely with affected Divisions to manage this process.

What happened  

Earlier in the week our security systems detected a security breach in a specific area of the Kent network. As a result, IS and Divisional colleagues took prompt action to contain the initial situation and to prevent the attack from spreading more widely across Kent services and systems. We then progressed to more significant protective actions in order to counter the threat we had identified.

What we have done

As part of measures taken, we isolated the School of Engineering domain from the rest of the University network and reset some 1,000 affected users’ passwords. A consequence of taking these necessary measures was the loss of authentication for Wi-Fi, wired network connections in student accommodation and student PCs on campus. IS worked swiftly to restore the authentication system, with most services back online within 24 hours.

We are pleased to report that services are now restored across campus, with the exception of the Jennison building, which hosts the School of Engineering domain IT infrastructure. Work to mitigate the impact on Jennison continues and will take some time.

What you can do

We have strong security procedures and protocols at Kent but we all need to remain vigilant so that we can continue to work safely and securely online. There has been a rise in cyber-attacks on UK public sector / education sector organisations in recent weeks and these attacks have been intense, persistent and disruptive.

With your help, we can reduce our risk of further attacks. Please read our latest advice and guidance about staying safe online and use our online resources to stay educated and stay alert.

We are continuing our work to ensure that University services and systems remain secure. If you experience any problems or have any issues, please contact IT & Library Support.

I’d also like to thank colleagues across the University for their rapid response to managing this issue.

With thanks,

John

John Sotillo | Director of Information Services

Later today at Rochester Cathedral it will be our huge pleasure to welcome our first cohort of returning students for their in-person graduation ceremonies. Graduations are always momentous occasions, marking not just our students’ success but a significant juncture in their lives. However, this first set of ceremonies has a particular poignancy as we mark a year group that faced challenges like no other. I wanted to take this moment to reflect on what they – and we – have all gone through together over the past two years. 

It’s easy to forget that university life for the ‘Class of 2020’ began like any other – the buzz around campus of new friendships being formed; bustling bars filled with excitement; the clatter and chatter of a packed lecture theatre settling down to class. What a contrast to how jarring that first lockdown was, as silence fell across our estate. The resilience, courage and commitment of those students to complete their studies while the whole world changed around them was truly humbling – as was the deeply moving way colleagues across the University pulled together in support. It was the best of our community, as so many adapted to huge personal challenges to ensure our students had the best possible experience we could provide. 

This didn’t come without its difficulties, with having to cancel in-person graduation ceremonies a particular low. For that year group to then graduate online and move into a new world of work, often behind a digital desk, shows just how remarkable they are. Kent graduates are special and throughout this first set of ceremonies we will be celebrating both them and the amazing things they have gone on to – showcasing how employability runs through our work, and how graduates who are ‘Made in Kent’ leave us ready to shape tomorrow’s world. 

Their success is also testament to all of you. Everyone at Kent can look at graduations and feel pride at their contribution. Maybe you sparked someone’s imagination in your tutorials or brought inspiration through your research. You may have been the first smile they saw when they came to collect their keys; a supportive word when they were in need of help; or serving them the food that reminded them of home when they really needed it. Everyone has a part to play, from when a prospective student picks up a prospectus to when they open their first Alumni Newsletter – and I hope you can all take a moment to reflect on your part in this as these wonderful ceremonies return. 

I know many will be volunteering this week and next or taking part through your more ceremonial role. Wherever you are, do look out across our campuses and social media for the smiles, hugs and special family moments as they return once again and know that they are yours to share in too.  

With my thanks to all of you for everything you do. 

Karen 

Professor Karen Cox | Vice-Chancellor and President 

From John Sotillo | Director of Information Services

** Updated 17.00, Friday 18 March **

Following my earlier update this morning and the regular progress reports on the IS blog, teams have been working throughout the day to get affected systems back online. Here’s where things currently stand:

Wi-Fi and networks

We have been working throughout the day to restore Eduroam across all campus buildings. This should be back up imminently – however, as we are still in the process of restoring systems, there may be further periods of disruption over the weekend as things come online, so do check back if you can’t get access. It will also remain unavailable outdoors throughout the weekend.

Student PCs   

Wired connection in campus accommodation has also been coming back online throughout the day and should be fully restored shortly. In the meantime, student PCs are still available throughout the campus.

Affected buildings  

The Kennedy Building should be returned to normal usage this evening; Jennison remains largely out of use for the time being. Alternative arrangements are being put in place where necessary to support those affected by this, including rescheduling timetabled events.

Deadlines and Mitigations  

Given the impact this will have had on a number of students, we sent out confirmation earlier today that all deadlines for work due today have been extended to Monday 21 March. In areas most affected by the outage, Divisions have arranged separate extensions, with all students informed.

We will provide a further update on Monday morning when we should have a clearer picture following further work over the weekend.

John

John Sotillo | Director of Information Services