The Royal Society is inviting proposals to exhibit at its 2007 Summer Science Exhibition (deadline: Friday 3 November 2006).
According to a 2005 MORI poll, the Royal Society Exhibition is the best known science exhibition in the UK, attracting a great deal of media interest. It's a fantastic opportunity for you to showcase your research to the public, post-16 and potential university students, scientists, policy makers, MPs, captains of industry, representatives from funding bodies and research councils, teachers and the wider scientific community.
More information and online proposal form
Knowledge Transfer is a highly topical (and contested) issue that affects all academics. How can you get the expert knowledge you gain from your research into the press, on-line or out to the wider public domain, in an effective manner?
Beyond Academia? (Tue 28 & Wed 29 Nov 2006, Manchester) is a free conference for PhD students and postgraduate researchers exploring the potential to extend the reach of research topics.
This free Knowledge Transfer conference aims to give researchers the skills to communicate their ideas to range of audiences, with workshops on themes such as publishing, the internet, speaking through TV, radio and new media, collaborations with outside organisations and professional skills.
Beyond Academia? Information and registration
The Royal Society runs training for scientists to give them the skills needed to communicate with the public and students, the media and scientists from other disciplines. The society offers one-day communication skills courses and one-day media training courses designed exclusively for scientists and tutored by leading journalists and communications professionals Judith Hann and John Exelby. Each course costs £300.
The Royal Society will fully subsidise Royal Society funded research fellows and professors to attend. PPARC is also glad to participate in these training courses, so if your research is funded by PPARC or you work in an area eligible for PPARC funding you may be able to obtain a bursary to attend these courses. EPSRC considers the Royal Society its preferred communication course provider. Its Public Communication Training Fund can provide a bursary of £500 to go on such a course.
In addition to these funding sources, the faculty may also be able to support attendance at one of these workshops - contact the faculty office if you're interested.
Don't forget that the faculty has several funds intended to help staff and students with the cost of research activities, training and travel:
Funding is available to support cross-faculty research and research-related activities, especially those which enhance our research reputation or raise our profile.
Available for group-based activities such as tailor-made training, strategy retreats, development meetings and consultancy. Individual members of staff can also apply for funding; for a range of activities such as courses, developmental meetings, acquisition of training and development and so on.
Money is available to support teaching developments, in particular those which enhance the teaching reputation of the faculty at either an undergraduate or postgraduate level.
Dedicated funds are available to support academic-related travel, with priority given to activities which enhance the faculty's international research reputation.
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science's Short Term Award Programme provides the opportunity for short-term visits for young pre- and post-doctoral researchers for cooperative research with leading research groups at Japanese universities and institutes.
The programme is designed to provide researchers with first-hand experience of the research and living environment in Japan, whilst expanding academic collaboration between the United Kingdom and Japan. Researchers of all fields of the Humanities, Social Sciences, Computer, Engineering, Life, Natural and Physical Sciences are eligible to apply for the programme. The closing date for applications is Friday 24th November 2006 and the successful applicants are asked to take up their scholarship between 1st May 2007 and 31st March 2008.
Daiwa scholarships are a unique programme of language study, work placement and homestay in Japan.
Candidates should be:
Daiwa Scholars are expected to reach an upper-intermediate level of language ability and are required to sit level 2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test while in Japan.
Please contact The Staff Development Team's Linda Cook (Ext. 92137) to book a place on one of this term's appraisal training sessions:
Dr Rachel Cooper of the IPPP will deliver a Work in Progress Presentation next Tuesday (1-2pm Tue 17th Oct, C29 IPPP) titled 'Problems with Policing Testimony in Science'.
Drawing on evidence which suggests that pharmaceutical companies massage published results of drug trials in psychiatry, Dr Cooper will discuss the problem of how to police testimony, both within psychiatry and in other areas ranging from Boyle's Royal Society to wikipedia. All are welcome to attend.
The Physics Department's Chris Bowdery has been awarded the 2006 Institute of Physics Chairs of Branches Prize - awarded to IoP branch members who have made exceptional contributions to the activities within a branch to enhance the promotion of physics.
The citation referred to Chris's outstanding contributions across the breadth of branch activities; in particular for his role in revitalising the branch and creating the Lanbria newsletter. Special mention was also made of the 'Galactic Gig' for schools.
Tourism and leisure businesses in the North-West are being offered expert advice with a new appointment at Lancaster University's Tourism Centre based in the Geography Department.
http://domino.lancs.ac.uk/info/lunews.nsf/r/454e
Two more academics have been appointed to the new Centre for Medical Education at Lancaster University.
http://domino.lancs.ac.uk/info/lunews.nsf/r/453a
The first ever intake of full-time medical students at Lancaster University have begun their studies at the start of their five-year degree course.
http://domino.lancs.ac.uk/info/lunews.nsf/r/44da
TWO Lancaster University students who helped invent a pioneering mobile phone game have been invited to Hollywood to receive an award at the American Film Institute.
http://domino.lancs.ac.uk/info/lunews.nsf/r/447a
A scientist from Lancaster University is to spend a week at the House of Commons shadowing the local MP as part of a scheme to influence research funding at the highest levels.