Campus News

Covid-19: Reverting to Plan A from Monday 31 January

January 25th, 2022

Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy Long wrote to staff and students earlier today to set out the university’s plans for reverting back to Plan A from Monday 31 January, now that the government has ended its ‘Plan B’ restrictions. 

Dear colleagues

As promised in my communication of 5 January, I am writing to update you on how the university will manage Covid-19 following last week’s government announcement which lifted its ‘Plan B’ measures.

The government has confirmed that people are no longer advised to work from home, and from Thursday 27 January face coverings will no longer be mandatory in indoor venues, and organisations will be able to choose whether to require NHS Covid Passes. The Department for Education has updated its guidance for higher education accordingly.

Plan A at Nottingham

From Monday 31 January, the university will in effect revert to our Plan A safety measures whereby we: strongly encourage staff and students to wear face coverings in indoor spaces; continue to test for Covid-19 at least weekly; and take up full vaccination and boosters.

Colleagues engaged in delivering teaching, student-facing services and campus operations should continue to deliver this from their place of work on campus in line with university policy which already specifies normal in-person teaching from this semester. Staff who have previously been advised to ‘work from home if they can’ are now invited to return to conduct more of their work on campus.

Precise working patterns should be agreed with line managers who can use their discretion, working with Heads of Schools and Professional Service Directors, to determine the balance of campus- and home-working according to institutional needs and priorities. However, the intended effect is to restore further energy and vigour to the campus experience for both staff and students, whilst not losing the gains we have made in more flexible approaches to work during the pandemic.

Please read the following sections for further details and rationale for these decisions, which have been discussed and agreed with the city’s public health team.

Teaching

The updated guidance published by the Department for Education sets the expectation that all higher education providers should ensure that they deliver face-to-face teaching without restrictions.

University policy already specifies normal in-person teaching from this semester unless there are pedagogic reasons for other modes, and so colleagues who need to be on campus to enable this should continue to work on campus. This includes staff engaged in in-person teaching and those working in libraries, student services, hospitality, retail, and domestic services, for example.

Research

Research can now be conducted fully on campus and all research facilities and laboratories are open to support this. Staff and students conducting research on campus are strongly encouraged to follow safety measures including the wearing of masks, weekly testing, and vaccination.

Working on campus

Many of our colleagues are already working on campus to deliver teaching and student services in-person or to keep essential facilities running, and some have worked on campus throughout the pandemic to provide essential services that cannot be delivered remotely.

Where colleagues were previously required to ‘work from home if they can’, for example certain professional services roles, we now invite you to return to campus to your place of work or a professional services hub.

For staff in this category, specific working patterns should be agreed with line managers, who can use their discretion to determine the balance of campus and home-working according to institutional needs and priorities. As a principle, we would suggest managers could initially permit working from home for up to 60% of time, changing to a maximum of 40% of time later this term according to the course of the pandemic, with precise dates to be determined in due course.

I appreciate that some colleagues may require a small period of time and support to re-adjust to campus working and would ask line managers to make local arrangements to manage their return to campus in a timely and supportive manner.

Face coverings

Whilst the government has said that face coverings will no longer be mandatory in indoor venues, the university continues to strongly encourage the wearing of face coverings in all indoor spaces, unless exempt, and this includes corridors and communal spaces; teaching settings, including lecture halls, seminar rooms, laboratories, and workshops; libraries and shared offices.

When working or studying in NHS environments, staff and students should continue to obey NHS rules, which mandate the wearing of surgical face masks. If working in or visiting the Medical School Building, because of its close proximity to NHS space, staff and students are expected to continue to wear face coverings unless they have a valid exemption.

Covid testing and vaccinations

Staff and students should continue to test for Covid-19 at least weekly, using the university’s unique asymptomatic testing service. The test is quick, simple and identifies infection at the earliest possible stage so that you can avoid transmitting illness to others.

Communications to students will continue to strongly encourage them to take a weekly Covid-19 test and take up full vaccination and boosters – please do repeat this message in any Faculty, School, or programme-level messages you have planned.

Ventilation

The Estates team will continue to ensure optimal levels of ventilation according to guidance to monitor air quality and make sure that rooms have a plentiful supply of fresh air. Almost half of our teaching rooms are automatically monitored and ventilated, and portable CO2 sensors are regularly moved around other rooms to confirm that CO2 levels are within the recommended limits. Were CO2 levels to exceed recommended limits, the room would be taken out of service and alternate teaching locations provided until CO2 levels have been addressed.

Reporting and recording illness

If you do develop symptoms or test positive for Covid-19, please complete our reporting form. This information is essential to help us track infections and manage potential outbreaks. We will continue to publish active case data for staff and students.

Please continue to follow these guidelines and act cautiously and considerately to help us keep our community as safe as possible. Continued case numbers are to be expected as our data reflects national trends. However, we are confident that the measures we have in place on campus will help to keep transmission as low as possible.

We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation and keep our policies under review. I will update you with any changes or updates to national or local guidance over the coming weeks.

Best wishes

Andy Long

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Research and Innovation: staff consultation on new structure

January 25th, 2022

Research and Innovation (R&I) staff are being consulted on a new operating structure aiming to improve ways of working, enhance performance and enabling colleagues to have more impact in the delivery of the university’s research strategy over the next five years.

R&I Director Pip Peakman is leading the consultation, which closes on Wednesday 9 February 2022.

She said: “The university’s research strategy for 2022-27 aims is to increase the quality of our research and allow us to be better prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead. To help deliver this, we are investing in the Research and Innovation team, so we can strengthen academic support, be more agile in anticipating and seizing funding opportunities and be more strategic and focused.”

The number of posts within Research and Innovation will increase under the proposed restructure. New roles will be introduced, some existing roles will change and others will remain the same.  Affected staff are being consulted over the proposed changes and being made aware of the options and opportunities open to them.

Pip Peakman added: “I understand that any change brings uncertainty and can be very unsettling, but it is important to stress that this restructure is around enhancing resource within Research and Innovation.

“There will be more posts than we currently have and we will increase our ability to meet the research and knowledge exchange support needs of the university. This added investment is also a vote of confidence in R&I.”

The proposed restructure will enhance R&I’s capacity to support transdisciplinary research projects and cross-faculty responses to strategic challenges facing the UK such as achieving zero carbon.

Pip Peakman added: “Feedback from colleagues both internal and external to R&I suggested identifying ways to better support faculties and Professional Services, whilst improving cross-team working and becoming more agile and sustainable. I believe that the proposed changes will help address these challenges.”

There will be a renewed emphasis on:

  • partnering with faculties and Assistant Pro-Vice-Chancellors for Research and Knowledge Exchange
  • improving ways of working with Professional Services
  • performance analytics capacity and capabilities
  • empowering staff and reorganisation of line management to break down silos
  • dedicated resource to address research risk and governance associated with trusted research
  • enhanced management of research strategy initiatives
  • dedicated relationship management with UKRI and other key funders.
  • enhanced corporate and SME engagement and partnerships
  • embedding international activity across the whole of R&I

To support these goals, R&I is proposing forming a new Research and KE Excellence and Strategy Division to monitor performance and delivery of the research strategy and to support the university’s commitment to a vibrant and inclusive research culture.

This team will work closely with the Researcher Academy to ensure that the whole research community, including early career researchers and postgraduate researchers, feel fully involved in delivery of the research strategy and supported in achieving their potential.

Following consultation with affected R&I staff and a period of restricted and non-restricted recruitment, it is anticipated that all affected staff will be in post by May 2022.

Colleagues with questions about the proposals are invited to speak to their line manager or contact BR-RI-Consultation@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk

FAQs for R&I staff are regularly up-dated and senior managers are offering one-to-one drop-in sessions.

Pip Peakman added: “We are working hard with colleagues across Research and Innovation to ensure these proposed changes are informed by your insights and expertise. We can all be proud of the dedication of our amazing teams and your continuing support during this consultation will allow us to further improve our performance and deliver new ways of collaborative and effective working.

This will allow us to enhance our contribution to the university’s ambitions to further improve the quality of our world-class research and knowledge exchange. The Roadmap represents a significant increase in staff investment to provide a re-organised structure which optimises our ways our ways of working and delivers maximum benefits in line with the ambitions of the emerging University Research Strategy and Knowledge Exchange Strategic Delivery Plan.”

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Making your headlines – new support to promote research, teaching and student success in global media

January 25th, 2022

The university’s Press Office has launched a new set of services to support colleagues across the institution in successfully promoting their research, teaching and student successes with national and global broadcasters and newspapers.

Whether you need help in attracting media interest, writing columns and commentary, training for broadcast interviews, or becoming an expert commentator, the Press Office team can assist you.

A new Press Office online hub has been published which details the services offered by the team and the types of opportunities they can help you use to publicise your research and encourage public or partner engagement with it.

A new broadcast studio is also available for colleagues to conduct TV and radio interviews with any outlet across the world. Based in the Yang Fujia building on Jubilee Campus, the studio is equipped with a Quicklink Studio-in-a-Box camera, which operates over the Skype network to provide HD TV images and broadcast quality audio. The University also provides studio-quality ISDN line facilities at its Sutton Bonington.

The online hub also features a meet the team section so that colleagues can easily contact the Media Relations Manager they need to assist them – whether that is help with publicising research projects, promoting news via social media, conducting broadcast interviews or monitoring and evaluating your coverage.

The University’s Head of News, Emma Thorne said: “Working with the media is becoming increasingly important for academics. Whether it be communicating the role of their research in finding solutions to global challenges; helping to influence public debate and influence policy; sparking interest from potential collaborators and funders; or enhancing their individual research reputation and REF impact.

“Our team of experienced communications professionals, comprised of former journalists and public relations executives with extensive knowledge of the industry, are here to support you at every step of the way and help put your story on the news agenda.”

For the past six years, the Press Office has supported Professor Matt Brookes and his team in the School of Physics and Astronomy in promoting research centred on the development of new technology for human brain imaging, helping to establish a national and international profile for the work.

Professor Brookes said: “The press office helped extensively, showcasing our work via both mainstream and social media. Excellent examples include the media response to a 2018 Nature paper which, following a press release by Media Relations Manager Jane Icke, was reported by over 50 outlets ranging from the BBC national and local news to the New York Post. According to www.altmetric.com, a website that tracks media impact of academic work, this paper ranked in the top one percent of all articles ever tracked in terms of the media response. These interactions helped significantly in getting our research noticed not only by the public, but also by policy makers, and has increased our visibility within the academic funding bodies.

“In addition, the experience has been time efficient, and fun! We look forward to continuing to work with the press office as our research moves forward.”

A new service level agreement will streamline the support the team can offer and provide clear guidelines for colleagues on the media’s expectations, helping us all to plan ahead to achieve the best coverage.

Whether you are a seasoned media expert or simply want to find out more about how to publicise your work in the media, please contact the Press Office team or call 0115 951 5798.

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Launching the Digital Development Programme

January 24th, 2022

In the context of an ever-increasing digital world, we are delighted to announce a new programme of work focusing on ‘Digital Development’.

Since the global pandemic, the way that we work and interact with others around us has changed dramatically. There has been an increased emphasis on our digital skills and the ability to collaborate across local and global boundaries. However, are we all operating as effectively as we can be in the new digital world and are we prepared for what the future workplace could hold?

For this exciting new initiative, we are seeking volunteers from all Faculties and Professional Services who want to be part of a dynamic programme that is looking to develop the digital culture of the university and our underlying digital capabilities.

If you want to get involved, you can register your interest here: Digital Development Consultation Group – Expression of interest

What will the Digital Development programme look like?

The new Digital Development programme of work will be focused on three core objectives:

  • Learning more about digital and digital methods of working
  • Learning how to use digital methods to equip ourselves with the right tools
  • Helping to shift the culture of the university and our engagement practices with the aid of digital tools, techniques and mindsets.

Please note that the programme initially will be for staff based in the UK.

How can you get involved?

To kick-start this initiative, we are establishing a Digital Development Consultation Group. Initially, this group will help shape the programme direction and latterly, will act as an instigator and sounding board for digital initiatives and developments.  

Participating in the consultation group will present an exciting opportunity to help to shape the future digital culture of the university, to learn from other areas and to actively input by contributing to digital experiments.

We’re looking for volunteers who have an interest in digital developments and who are able to commit to meet on a quarterly basis, starting from late February/early March. We want to ensure we have representation from across the university, all Faculties and Professional Services across the full range of job families and levels.

There are no pre-requisites for volunteering for this group and would encourage anyone interested to get involved. This is an opportunity for anyone with a keen interest in digital and who is willing to participate in co-creation of ideas/materials and contribute to digital experiments with other like-minded peers.

What benefits will being involved bring?

Richard Sanderson, who will be leading the Digital Development Consultation Group said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for staff to be involved and lead the way in a ground-breaking initiative. Through the programme, we will be asking colleagues to identify ideas for digital experiments, share good practice, learn by doing and play a crucial part in influencing our future ways of working and what it means to be part of a digitally enabled university.

For those who volunteer, they will be able to collaborate with like-minded peers with whom they would not normally work with and actively participate in a dynamic and cross-functional environment”.

Call to Action

If you are interested in learning more or volunteering – please contact Richard Sanderson or fill in our expression of interest form here: Digital Development Consultation Group – Expression of interest

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Holocaust Memorial Day – Thursday 27 January 2022

January 24th, 2022

Holocaust Memorial Day takes place each year on 27 January and offers time to remember the genocide of 6 million Jews murdered alongside millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution.

University of Nottingham Chaplaincy and Faith Support are collaborating with Nottingham Trent University Faith to mark the day by taking the opportunity to learn about the past and discuss how we can create a safer future.

We will hear reflections from scholars, chaplains, and members of the Jewish community on the importance of remembering the Holocaust genocide and learning how to never allow such atrocities to happen again.

The event is open to both the NTU Community and UoN Community as well as the general public.

From: Thursday 27 January 2022, 5.30 pm
To: Thursday 27 January 2022, 6.30 pm
Where: Online, via Microsoft Teams (link to join will be sent by email once you book)
Booking deadline: Thursday 27 January 2022, 5.30 pm
Download this event to your calendar

Speakers:

Holocaust survivors
We will be hearing from two Holocaust survivors who will be sharing their experience on the evening.

Amy Williams – PhD Researcher
Researcher into the Kindertransport, particularly about the memory the commemoration and the representation of this rescue operation. Amy was awarded the Culture Engagement Award 2017 by the AHRC Midlands3Cities Doctoral Training Partnership at the Midlands3Cities Research Festival for work done at the National Holocaust Centre and museum.

William Niven – Professor Emeritus
Professor Emeritus having retired in 2020 Bill Nevin a Professor of Contemporary German History at Nottingham Trent University has published widely on Germany’s efforts to come to terms with this National Socialist past. Among his publications are monographs facing the Nazi Past (Routledge, 2000) and The Buchenwald Child (Camden House, 2007). Professor Niven has also edited many volumes of essays on Germany’s relationship to its past.

University of Nottingham Chaplaincy Team
Will be reflecting on the Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 theme One Day

Reserve your place for the event here. 

Holocaust Memorial at Lakeside Arts

‘The Eye as Witness’ is an immersive multimedia experience examining Holocaust photography running at Djanogly Gallery, Lakeside Arts from Saturday 22 January 2022 to Sunday 13 March 2022. It has been designed to make us question the motives behind the recording of historical events and to encourage critical thinking on racism, hatred and ‘fake news’ today.

The exhibition features virtual reality technology that allows visitors to ‘step into’ a picture taken by a Nazi photographer in the Warsaw Ghetto enabling them to observe what was left out of the frame of the image. The exhibition also features photos that are rarely seen today: secret pictures taken by Jewish people and members of the anti-Nazi resistance, who, at great risk to themselves, used the camera to record the story as they saw it.

Find out more and book

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E-Assessment – approval for key programme to begin next phase

January 24th, 2022

At the beginning of December 2021, approval was given to begin the next phase of a key programme that will make a significant contribution towards the Education and Student Experience (ESE) Strategic Delivery Plan.

Many within the university will already be familiar with the ESE Strategic Delivery Plan.

The objective of the “Curriculum Management & e-Assessment” programme (known as “e-Assessment) is to integrate a range of new and enhanced digital platforms to deliver better teaching, learning and assessment experiences for students and staff.

These digital platforms will also function as a key enabler for the separate Curriculum Transformation Programme, which is currently being piloted in a number of Schools around the university, and was recently showcased at a conference on ‘Designing Programmes for Learning’ earlier this month.

The e-Assessment programme aims to address known challenges and opportunities in 5 key areas:

It aims to deliver this through providing new services, tools and processes for each of these 5 areas.

Approval has been given for Phase 1 of the programme to progress into its “Initiation Phase”. This will include finalising the university’s desired requirements for Strands 1-3, running a tender exercise to assess services and tools available, and producing a finalised business case so that the university can select its preferred options and progress to implementation.

Working collaboratively with stakeholders across the university is core to the programme. The project team’s further engagement with Faculties, Schools and Departments, alongside colleagues in professional services, will be pivotal now that the programme has approval to progress.

In the meantime, if you would like to find out more please contact your Faculty Digital Learning Director or Matthew Sneller (Strategy, Performance and Data Manager, Libraries).

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LGBT+ History Month 2022 – unmuting ourselves: creating an inclusive culture

January 21st, 2022

At the university we are committed to supporting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for our staff and students.

The UoN theme for LGBT+ History Month 2022 is ‘Unmuting ourselves’, which aims to raise up and amplify the voices of our LGBT+ community, provide opportunities to educate ourselves and promote and encourage active allyship.

We aim to increase visibility of LGBT+ people, their history, lives, and experiences, promote their welfare, and increase inclusion.

A programme board of staff and student volunteers have organised central events in line with this year’s theme along with funding local projects at the university.

We’d like to encourage everyone to get involved, join our celebrations and share details of the programme as we work together towards unmuting ourselves.

Take a look at what’s on offer at the university throughout the month of February and book your place.

Central Events

Unmuting ourselves: the launch

Tuesday 1 February: 12pm – 12.30pm
The University of Nottingham’s LGBTQ+ Staff Network would like to welcome ALL staff and students to the launch of LGBT+ History Month.
This will be a hybrid event and a great opportunity to help kick-off the celebrations and activities we have scheduled.
Click here to join via Teams.

In-person location will be on University Park Campus – by the lake outside the Trent Building (not the University Boulevard side).

Access: please use either pathway at each end of the Trent Building East and West. Disabled access is via the West car park.

Unmuting ourselves: an exhibition showcasing projects in support of the LGBT+ community

An eclectic and visually engaging exhibition displaying work from both staff and students including personal artistic creations along with projects and areas of research relating to the LGBT+ community and that support LGBT+ allies.  Come along to learn, discuss and engage.

Exhibition launch and meet the exhibitors: 7 February: 12pm – 1pm
Exhibition: 8 – 11 February: 10:30am – 3:30pm daily
No booking required
The Studio, Portland Building
Click here for a virtual form of the exhibition. 

Unmuting ourselves: exploring media impact and influence on the LGBT+ community

Wednesday 9 February 1pm – 2pm

This virtual conversation, aimed at all staff, students and alumni, will explore the impact and influence of the media on shaping the LGBT+ narrative. Chaired by Lucy Jones, Associate Professor in English and Director of EDI for Faculty of Arts, panellists will share their lived experience of media representation of the LGBT+ community on their lives, perspectives and the views of those around them.  Panellists will reflect on early influences, study/career choices, positive and/or negative experiences and how forms of media have changed over time.

You can now watch a recording of this event here.

Local Events

LGBTQ+ reading list

Find your next good read with Libraries’ LGBTQ+ reading list of staff and student suggested titles including award-winning fiction, graphic novels, essay collections, poetry and more.  

Over the last two years, Libraries have purchased many of the suggested titles, in print or ebook format, to continue to develop and diversify our library collections. To check availability of a title, click on the title you’re interested in on the reading list or search for it using NUsearch. 

Do you have a favourite book by an LGBTQ+ writer or that explores LGBTQ+ culture and history? Let Libraries know by completing the online form. 

Creating a personal symbol in the company of others
Throughout the month

A cross campus crafting event with Health Sciences throughout the month. Packs will be available from both campuses for individuals to create their own embroidery masterpiece with instructions explaining how to do the seed stitch. There will also be a QR code linking to a Padlet where individuals can display their creations.  Further details will be available here in February.

LGBTQ+ reading group

Join University of Nottingham Libraries and Dr Hannah Robbins (Centre for Black Studies) at 12 noon on Thursday 24 February for a celebration of LGBTQ+ writing.
We’ll be sharing our favourite books and writers, and discussing why queer books matter. Join us to share your recommendations or to find out more about LGBTQ+ writing.
The first twenty students to register for the event will receive a free book from our LGBTQ+ reading list of staff and student suggestions.
Sign up for the reading group

The Dan Daw Show

Tuesday 8 February, 7.30pm – 9pm
Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts
Tickets costs £16 (£12) and can be booked via the Lakeside website.
Age suitability: 16+

After having spent a lifetime being an inspiration to others, Dan is finally seizing the moment to inspire himself and let go of who he once was, to make room for who he wants to be.  Teaming up with theatre director Mark Maughan (Petrification, The Claim), Dan is joined in an intimate evening of play by performer Christopher Owen (Joe Moran, Scottish Dance Theatre) where Dan takes back the power by being dominated on his own terms. The Dan Daw Show is a peep into the shiny and sweaty push pull of living with shame while bursting with pride. This is a show about care, intimacy and resilience, about letting go and reclaiming yourself.

Being on Placement: Mariana shares their unique story and toolkit to thrive

Wednesday 9 February, 6.30pm – 7.30pm

Click here to join the talk via Teams with Mariana

Mariana is a 3rd year Animal Science student who has taken their year in industry placement as a chance to promote diversity and inclusion in the farming community. Since disclosing their trans identity at FAI Farms, they have taken the opportunity to educate the wider global team with an “LGBTQIA+ Crash Course”. This has kick-started a company ethos change – a goal to make the future of farming a more diverse and inclusive space.

‘Ghost Empire’ film screening and panel discussion: British colonial law and LGBTQ+ rights

Friday 11 February, 6pm – 9pm
A30 Arts Lecture Theatre
Tickets are free and can be booked here

This event brings together artists, activists and scholars from different disciplines to reflect on the long-term legacies of British colonial laws regarding LGBTQ+ rights. The event, chaired by Martina Salvante, will include a screening of Ghost Empire § Cyprus with Susan Thomson; a roundtable discussion with scholars and activists responding to the film and its content and a Q&A session with the filmmaker, panellists, and the wider audience.

Why are all the best philosophers LGBTQ?

Wednesday 23 February, 12pm – 2pm
D10 Monica Partridge Building

Tickets are free and can be booked here

This interactive seminar will celebrate the LGBTQ community’s disproportionate contribution to philosophy. Highlighted will be the prevalence and importance of LGBTQ philosophers, including Bayard Rustin, Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, and Simone de Beauvoir. These have and continue to help us think about and fight for what it means to be human, to be oneself, and to be happy. LGBTQ people’s experiences of, and often struggles with, navigating self and society, lend themselves to critical and practical thinking about. This informal session, refreshments provided, takes inspiration from the LGBTQ community to become better everyday philosophers.

‘Safe Distance’ film screening + Q&A

Thursday 24 February, 1pm-2.30pm
Djanogly Theatre, DH Lawrence Pavilion, Lakeside Arts
Booking is free via the Lakeside website.

Safe Distance’ directed by Jamie Chi is a documentary film that explores queer Chinese individuals’ lived experiences of discrimination and ostracization in the UK during the pandemic. It involves 31 queer-identified interviewees who come from Chinese societies and backgrounds, including the UK, mainland China, Hong Kong, Canada, the Netherlands and Singapore, and who currently reside in this country. It examines themes incorporating identity, intersectionality, mental health, discrimination, migration, and the notion of home and community. Jamie Chi draws parallels between Covid and the HIV/AIDS pandemic of the 1980s to alert people to the history of discrimination against the queer community. She also highlights how queer Chinese individuals have experienced particular discrimination through racism and homophobia. The film will be introduced by the producer Qiu Bai in conversation with Hongwei Bao with online participation by Jamie Chi from Hong Kong.

Removing the camouflage in a rural community: Emily talks openly about finding her true authentic self

Thursday 24 February, 6.30pm – 7.30pm

Click here to join the talk via Teams with Emily

Emily Brown is the current President for Harper Adams Students’ Union, having studied BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Farm Business Management at Harper Adams University from 2017-2021. She is from a farming family in Bedfordshire and has been strongly involved in Bedford Young Farmers. Emily has a keen interest in EDI in the agricultural industry, working with Agrespect, a movement which promotes and supports diversity in the countryside.

Holocaust: Untold Histories

Monday 28 February, 1pm – 2pm
Live-streamed event
You can now see a recording of this event here.

Dr. Anna Hájková (Associate Professor of History, University of Warwick) with Professor Maiken Umbach (History, UoN) discusses the experiences of those involved in same sex relationships under the Nazi regime and why certain stories connected to the sexuality of the Holocaust victims were never told.  Dr. Hájková’s book, The Last Ghetto, explored the everyday history of Theresienstadt. She is currently working on queer Holocaust history.  This online event has been organised to coincide with the exhibition ‘The Eye as Witness: Recording the Holocaust’ (Djanogly Gallery, Lakeside Arts, 22 January – 13 March 2022) based on research by a multi-disciplinary team led by Prof. Umbach.

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Understanding attitudes towards the Covid-19 vaccine

January 19th, 2022

Can you help us to understand why vaccine take-up is lower among some communities? You could earn £50 in vouchers.

Nottingham City Council and the NHS have teamed up to help understand why the take-up of the vaccine is lower among some of our communities.

Fewer people in Nottingham have had their Covid-19 vaccination than in other parts of the country, and take-up is lower among our city’s diverse communities.

Do you belong to the Chinese or Black Caribbean communities? If so, Nottingham City Council and the NHS are keen to speak to you to understand the various and complex reasons why people from your communities might not get vaccinated.

Discussions will take the form of two-hour workshops and will be held virtually via Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Participants will be paid £50 in vouchers.

If you’d like to find out more about attending a workshop, please contact Jade Farrell.

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University Physicist wins prestigious award

January 19th, 2022

Professor Matthew Brookes has been recognised for his revolutionary work in brain imaging, with a Physical Sciences & Engineering Laureate award from the the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences.

Now in its fifth year, the Awards are the largest unrestricted prize available to UK scientists aged 42 or younger. They are fast becoming internationally recognised among the scientific community as instrumental in expanding the engagement and recognition of young scientists and providing a strong foundation on which science can prosper.

This is the first year the University of Nottingham has featured in these awards and Professor Brookes will receive £100,000 prize money in recognition of his work.

Professor Brookes and his team have created a new magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology that influences functional brain imaging capabilities. This wearable OPM-MEG system allows the mapping of brain connections in moving subjects and opens up a wide range of new paradigms and subject groups for study such as non-invasive imaging of children’s brains. The system is now being installed in clinical settings with collaborations currently underway with national charity Young Epilepsy and Sick Kids in Toronto.

Child wearing wearable MEG helmet

Professor Brookes said: “It’s a huge honour to have been recognised by such a prestigious award. Wearable MEG has been under development for 6 years. To watch it grow, from a few equations on the back on an envelope, to a real, commercialised, brain imaging device has been truly wonderful. This development has been made possible by an incredible team of scientists, both here in Nottingham and our many collaborators. To have our work recognised in this way is a massive achievement.”

“The remarkable scientific talent and research in the UK grows stronger every year,” commented Sir Leonard Blavatnik, Founder and Chairman of Access Industries and head of the Blavatnik Family Foundation. “The brilliant, innovative work for which this year’s Laureates and Finalists are recognised and honoured improves our world for the better and further extends the boundaries of scientific knowledge and understanding.”

Professor Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences and Chair of the Awards’ Scientific Advisory Council noted, “Society cannot surmount world crises like the Covid pandemic without science. It is critical that we continue to invest in science and these young, trail-blazing scientists who have the energy, optimism, and brilliance to continue developing scientific solutions benefitting millions, even billions, of people. On behalf of the Academy, we are honoured to administer the Blavatnik Awards in the UK in its fifth year and we are thrilled to see a growing list of UK institutions submitting nominations since the program was established. We are also excited to honour six women in 2022.”

The 2022 Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in the UK received 94 nominations from 47 academic and research institutions across the UK. The Blavatnik Awards in the UK sit alongside their global counterparts, the Blavatnik National Awards and the Blavatnik Regional Awards in the United States and the Blavatnik Awards in Israel, all of which honour and support exceptional early-career scientists. By the close of 2022, the Blavatnik Awards will have awarded prizes totalling US$13.6 million. About 60 percent of all recipients are immigrants to the country in which they were recognised and hail from 48 countries across six continents, reflecting the Blavatnik Family Foundation’s recognition that important science is a global enterprise.

The 2022 Blavatnik Awards in the UK Laureates and Finalists will be honoured, as Covid-19 restrictions allow, at a black-tie gala dinner and ceremony at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, currently scheduled for Monday 28 February 2022. The following day, on Tuesday 1 March 2022 from 11:00 to 18:00 GMT, the honourees will present their research with a series of short, interactive lectures at a free public symposium also to be held at the V&A. More details about the symposium will be posted soon on the website of the New York Academy of Sciences, NYAS.org.

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Diversity Festival 2022: call for local event proposals

January 18th, 2022

Would you like to showcase your area of expertise or interest in EDI?

We are now inviting staff and students to propose topics for locally hosted events for our 2022 diversity festival. 

In 2021, staff and students delivered local events on topics ranging from ‘women of faith’ to ‘diverse careers in STEM’ and ‘Imposter syndrome vs your potential’. 

How do I submit a proposal? 

Please ask to join our diversity festival local events team to access our proposal form and complete one form for each proposal. It takes approximately 5 minutes to complete the form.  

Local event proposals submitted by Friday 18 February 2022 will be promoted centrally from April 2022 onwards. Proposals submitted after this date will still be accepted and promoted via the diversity festival web hub once we have all relevant details.

Local events will be delivered between Tuesday 14 June and Friday 24 June 2022.

If you have any questions, please post them in the 2022 festival channel chat in our diversity festival local events team. 

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