Campus News
Herschel Programme for Women in Technical Leadership
October 22nd, 2021
Within higher education and research settings there are only 32% of women in technician management and leadership roles and less than half of those in the technical workforce are women.
To address this, the Research-England funded TALENT programme has created the UK’s first leadership programme designed for people in technical roles who identify as women.
The Herschel Programme for Women in Technical Leadership is a six-month programme which includes modules on self-awareness, leading in a technical environment, negotiation skills and navigating the organisation. It also offers unique opportunities for networking.
Individuals working in higher education and research settings nationwide are invited to apply for the six-month programme which will commence in January 2022. If you are a current or aspiring technician who is keen to develop your leadership skills, this programme is for you.
Kelly Vere MBE, Director of Technical Skills and Strategy at the university and Project Lead for TALENT said:
“This is the first opportunity of its kind to be offered to women in technical roles and aligns with the vision set out in the R&D People and Culture Strategy to put people at the heart of the UK’s research and innovation ecosystem,”
“The strategy sets out a plan to achieve great leadership at all levels to make the sector fit for the challenges it faces. This programme will play a key role in this by giving people the skills and behaviours needed for leading people and teams.
“The programme has been named after Caroline Herschel one of the earliest ‘technicians’ at the turn of the 19th century. She helped pioneer the discovery of comets and other astronomy work and truly paved the way for the women of the future to play key roles in scientific endeavours.”
Applications open on Thursday 21 October 2021 and require a 200-word supporting statement.
The deadline for applications is Friday 5 November 2021.
Find out more about the programme and apply here.
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Less than three weeks to sign up to Multi Factor Authentication
October 19th, 2021
Less than three weeks until MFA is required to access your Microsoft 365 account – get set up and secure by Monday 8 November
The risk to our university is very real and not going away. To reduce the risk of cyber and phishing attacks and to help protect the university network and data, Multi-Factor Authentication will be required.
By Monday 8 November 2021, staff and associates need to set up MFA to secure their Microsoft 365 account. It is really important you act now to prevent any disruption.
Need help?
To help with setting up MFA and getting secure, we have pop-up Smart Bars across our campuses where you can ask questions in-person. You can also ask questions on the Virtual Smart Bar or at one of the virtual question and answer sessions.
Please check the MFA help and support page for all the details.
Setting up MFA
To set up MFA and secure your account please following these steps:
- Set up MFA if you haven’t already, visit the DTS website for instructions
- Submit the secure M365 Form
After you submit your Form, you may need to approve authentication a few times for each app and device that you use but after that, you won’t be prompted for a further 90 days as long as you use the same device and browser.
However, if you are using a university managed Windows 10 device, your experience should be even better, as the device shouldn’t prompt for authentication after initial set up, as long as your device is compliant (it has up-to-date security policies).
Visit the Securing 365 SharePoint site for further guidance and FAQs.
Thank you for your support.
Tags: MFA
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Academic Promotions 2021/22
October 19th, 2021
The university has confirmed the results of the 2021/22 promotions round for our academic community. 224 colleagues have secured promotion to Professor, Associate Professor, Principal Research Fellow, Assistant Professor and Senior Research Fellow.
The Vice-Chancellor and University Executive Board members extend their warmest congratulations to colleagues across the university. You can see the full list of promotions here.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West congratulated everyone who has secured promotion over this particularly challenging year. She said:
“I am delighted to see the talent of our academic community recognised in this way, with promotions secured on merit across a wide range of disciplines, schools and faculties. I am particularly pleased to note further increases in the proportion of colleagues from black and minority ethnic backgrounds who have been promoted.
We will arrange celebration receptions in the new year for all colleagues who have secured promotions both this year and last year.”
Analysis of this year’s promotion round shows that the number of colleagues from minority ethnic backgrounds securing promotion increased by 2.3% percentage points – rising from 41 individuals in 2019/20 to 43 in 2020/21.
Tags: academic promotions
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Vice-Chancellor’s blog: conversations with our university community
October 19th, 2021
In her latest blog, Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West welcomes our university community to the new term and reflects over the past year.
She outlines challenges that may need to be overcome as well as upcoming opportunities, and encourages everyone to get involved in a series of in-person events, lunches, dinners and staff surgeries to discuss any feelings or concerns.
Tags: VC Surgeries, VC surgery, VC's blog, Vice Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor's blog
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Vice-Chancellor – staff engagement this term
October 19th, 2021
Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West has published plans to engage with colleagues at all levels across our UK campuses, with a much greater emphasis on in-person and town hall-style meetings than was possible during the Covid disrupted period last year.
As well as resuming her regular series of VC blogs, Professor West will be hosting an extensive series of in-person events, lunches, dinners and staff surgeries – as well as hosting larger meetings for faculties and professional services departments via Teams.
Professor West said: “I am really looking forward to listening to and speaking with colleagues across the university this term. I know it has been a tough period for us all and I am keen to meet and communicate with as many colleagues as possible to understand your ambitions, concerns and, I hope, pleasure at being back on campus regularly.
“The circumstances of the pandemic have meant that many of us pivoted to Teams for so many of our conversations and meetings last year, and I was no exception. In line with our approach to teaching this term, I am introducing a more blended style to my engagement with colleagues with both in-person and online events, which will allow for a more extensive set of engagements with the university community. I do hope you can join me and I look forward to speaking with you during the academic year.”
Staff surgeries
Colleagues are invited to book short appointments to discuss any issue with the Vice-Chancellor via Teams or in-person in her offices. The next available session is Tuesday 2 November. To book, please go to VC Staff Surgery – places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so colleagues are encouraged to book early.
Staff town hall events
The Vice-Chancellor will host town hall-style briefing and Q&A events for staff in every faculty and professional service area each term. Please look out for your invitation to these events during this term:
- Wednesday 3 November, 10.00 – 11.00 – Faculty of Engineering
- Thursday 2 December, 13.00 – 14.00 – Faculty of Arts
- Thursday 2 December, 14.00 – 15.00 – Faculty of Science
- Wednesday 8 December, 10.00 – 11.00 – Professional Services
- Thursday 16 December, 09.00 – 10.00 – Faculty of Social Sciences
- Thursday 16 December, 10.00 – 11.00 – Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences
- Thursday 16 December, 15.00 – 16.00 – Professional Services
Professorial dinners
The Vice-Chancellor will also host a series of lunches and dinners by invitation across the year with professorial colleagues from all faculties and disciplines in the Council Dining Room to discuss current issues relating to research, education and the external policy landscape for higher education..
Senior leaders’ briefings and emails
The Vice-Chancellor will continue to lead the fortnightly Teams briefings for senior leaders across the institution to discuss the latest news and external developments affecting the university, as well as providing regular updates via email for information and cascade within faculties, schools and departments.
Contact the Vice-Chancellor
As always, colleagues are invited to email the Vice-Chancellor at BA-vco-feedback@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk with their news, thoughts and suggestions related to work, research and study at the university.
Tags: Professor Shearer West, Professorial dinners, Senior Leaders' Briefings, Staff surgeries, Staff town hall, Vice Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West
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COP26: an opportunity for our community to come together and help tackle climate change
October 18th, 2021
COP26 takes to the world stage from Monday 1 November, as global leaders and citizens come together to act on climate change. The message of the United Nations conference is clear: We must act now, and act together.
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, will lead the university’s delegation at COP26 in Glasgow.
Dame Jessica states: “COP26 is a rallying call to us all.
“At no time in history has humankind been at a crossroads and knowingly faced a choice with such profound consequences for the lives of generations to come.
“But thanks to science, and unparalleled abilities to assemble and interpret data and share this knowledge, we have never been better equipped to agree a way forward.”
Throughout COP26, our researchers will be sharing commentary, podcasts and insights into their discoveries and its impact on climate change.
You will find these on our COP26 web pages, and can follow our campaign on social media, including Twitter (@UoNresearch and @UoN_Institute).
Please look out for hashtags including #TogetherForOurPlanet and #COP26 and share content via your school and department in support of this campaign.
Our university has a long-standing commitment to tackling climate change. Our response informs our mission to deliver world-leading research and inspiring teaching and learning, while biodiversity and sustainability are the cornerstones of our campuses in the UK, China and Malaysia.
COP26 will highlight that climate change requires determined and coordinated action on many fronts, which is supported by research at the university:
- Greening transport in our cities and slashing aviation’s carbon footprint
- Rolling out new sources of green energy
- Delivering a new industrial revolution based on sustainable manufacturing and a skills-rich UK bioeconomy
- Securing nutritious food supplies for a growing global population
- Supporting societies and building the resilience and resources to overcome flood, drought and rising temperatures
Our cross-disciplinary research and partnerships highlight our capacity and determination to work together deliver solutions and impact.
By sharing our innovative research, we hope to inform debate at COP26, providing UK and international policymakers with the science, data, expertise and insights they need to work together, and establish new partnerships to deliver solutions.
Our Institute for Policy and Engagement is supporting our academics attending COP26 and working with government, industry and society to promote our research, influence policies and debate, and establish new collaborations.
We are also connecting with people across our university and the communities we serve. Our campaign highlights how our staff and students can get involved and make a difference.
Our researchers will also be sharing their knowledge on environment issues with schoolchildren as part of Primary Parliament, hosting events on climate issues during the ESRC Festival of Social Science and exploring air quality with Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum.
We’re also working with partners (including the city council, NTU, Ignite! and Backlit Studios) to host a pop-up exhibition, Green Light in the City, which is scheduled to open in a commercial space in central Nottingham in early November. The exhibition focuses on key messages from our research and on steps that everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint. Come along to an event and share messages of hope.
University of Nottingham Malaysia is supporting Malaysia Climate Action Week (25-29 October) and is contributing webinars on how businesses can contribute to the challenge (Dr Mohan Visveswara, Nottingham University Business School), NUBS and on climate-smart agriculture (Dr Chiew Foan Chin, Biosciences). UNM is also planning to highlight alumni and students who are active in the climate/sustainability space.
COP26 is also an opportunity to highlight research at University of Nottingham Ningbo China that is tackling the climate crisis, from addressing air pollution to smart eco-city partnerships.
We encourage you to support and champion the efforts and dedication of our community as they support COP26 and help shape the future.
Tags: climate, Climate action, climate change, Climate conference, COP26, environment, sustainability, UK Climate Change Conference
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Researcher swims distance of the English Channel in pool
October 15th, 2021
Maddy Ellis, a 27-year-old researcher at the university (and ex-student), recently swam the distance of the English channel in a local pool, raising £10,300 for children’s charity, Over The Wall.
Maddy, a 27-year-old Mathematician based in Little Paxton, had been scheduled to swim the channel in early September, but missed her allocated window due to high winds and dangerous sea swells.
After enduring a difficult two-year training schedule of regular, long open water swims and daily ice baths, Maddy did not give up and instead, she opted to swim the 21 miles at Mountbatten Swimming pool in Portsmouth, over the space of 15 hours.
From 7am to 10pm on Sunday, Maddy swam a total of around 1,200 lengths of the pool in one long session, eating as she swam and getting out of the pool only to use the lavatory.
Maddy became a volunteer for Over The Wall several years ago, where she attended the charity’s camps that are designed to help children with serious illness to reach beyond the boundaries of their health challenge.
“I really wanted to continue to raise money for Over The Wall, and to honour everyone who had already donated to my JustGiving page. People had been so kind and so generous, so I wanted to do something as similar to the channel crossing as possible.”
Other volunteers and staff members from Over The Wall were present for the whole 15 hours as were Maddy’s family members, many of which occasionally swam beside her in support.
“Getting used to the heat and chlorine was most difficult.” said Maddy. “The pool was 29 degrees and I had been taking ice baths and swimming in cold open waters in preparation, so that was something I wasn’t ready for, and had to adjust to.”
As a Vegan, Maddy was able to cool down with the occasional handful of frozen peas provided by her fellow volunteers who were cheering her on from the poolside.
“Every time I popped my head up, throughout the whole 15 hours, my supporters were there and that really helped me to keep going. I also kept my mind busy by thinking about work, people and Over The Wall- and by playing maths games in my mind- to break up the monotony of the swim! It felt great to complete it and to have raised well over my target £10k for the charity.”
Kevin Mathieson, the CEO of the charity said, “We feel very lucky and proud to have Maddy on board as a volunteer and fundraiser for our charity. These funds raised through her strength, determination and dedication, will certainly help our charity to provide more opportunities for children with serious illness -and for that we are very grateful.”
If you would like to take on a challenge for Over The Wall, please email Danniella Manton at giving@otw.org.uk.
Tags: charity, Maddy, Maddy Ellis, Over The Wall, swim
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Sign up to a Reverse Mentoring Programme: deadline extended
October 15th, 2021
The university is opening applications for two further reverse mentoring opportunities for staff and students – with deadlines now extended.
The programmes are open to staff from all job families, roles and disciplines and is supported by the EPSRC funded STEMM-CHANGE and University of Nottingham-University of Birmingham funded ReMEDI, projects.
What is reverse mentoring?
Reverse mentoring is when a person in a senior position (the reverse mentee) is mentored by someone in a more junior position to themselves (the reverse mentor). The programmes provide an opportunity for participants to engage in honest, open and respectful dialogue about the lived experience of staff and students from underrepresented backgrounds and the barriers they can face.
Our learning from previous cohorts suggests that the insights generated can contribute to improving the educational and professional experience of our diverse staff and student community and contribute to the overall inclusive culture and performance of the university.
You can watch this short animation about reverse mentoring for more information on reverse mentoring, or this short video and animation for more information on reverse mentoring in STEMM subjects.
Please read more below and once you have decided whether you want to be reverse mentored by a member of staff or a student and whether on this occasion you want to be reverse mentored by a BAME colleague/student or a member of staff from a STEMM subject with a different protected characteristic, click on the appropriate link in the documents below to select which programme you would like to take part in.
- Programme 1: STEMM-CHANGE – For staff
- Programme 2: The ReMEDI Project – For staff and students
Next steps
If you would like to be a reverse mentor or mentee, you will need to sign up to one of the programme options via the links above.
The deadline for applications for the STEMM-CHANGE programme has now been extended to 5pm on Friday 29 October 2021.
The deadline for applications for The ReMEDI Programme has also been extended, and is now midnight on Friday 29 October 2021.
For more information about reverse mentoring please contact Lucy Williams, Senior Project Manager.
Tags: Mentor, mentoring, ReMEDI, STEMM, STEMM Change
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Disruptions to catering services expected
October 12th, 2021
Supply chain issues and a shortage of HGV drivers are impacting the university’s deliveries of food and drink. We are also affected by a severe labour shortage in the hospitality industry.
While neither of these issues are unique to the university, they do disrupt the level of service we can provide across our catering outlets.
You might see less stock on shelves in our catering outlets. The items our suppliers struggle to provide us with may differ from week to week, but on average our deliveries are only 50-60% complete. Missing items are predominately retail items – for example – pre-packaged sandwiches – as their suppliers are struggling to provide the raw ingredients, including bread and packaging materials.
To mitigate this we have increased our supplier base, and retained our trusted suppliers rather than re-tendering at this time. We have also built up some of our stores of ambient goods and stocked our freezers – especially when alerted to a potential supply issue.
We have also invested in an e-procurement system which alerts us of potential shortage of items at the point of ordering.
The creativity of our catering staff within halls means that menus can be altered even at short notice, therefore this is not affecting the residential experience. But you might notice a difference in some of our shops and cafes.
The national labour shortage is affecting our ability to extend opening times at some catering outlets – or in some cases open at weekends. In order to mitigate this we have been holding recruitment fairs and offering more flexible shift patterns to fit around student timetables and commitments.
With regard to delivered catering we would request that you submit your orders as soon as possible in advance and be aware that there may be some substitution on menus.
Our teams are doing their best to ensure we can offer the best service possible to you , but please bear with us as we navigate these challenges.
Tags: catering, delivered catering, food and drink, food on campus
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Professor John Atherton to retire from the university
October 12th, 2021
Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Medicine & Health Sciences, Professor John Atherton, has confirmed his intention to retire from the University of Nottingham from the end of the Spring term next year.
Following a 35-year career spanning clinical and academic practice – 26 of them teaching, leading and consulting at the university – Professor Atherton has decided to pursue an active retirement.
Paying tribute to John’s work at the university, Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West said:
“I would like to thank John for his immense contribution to the university and the medical profession, and I wish him a long and very happy retirement. Delivering excellence in patient care and student education has formed the backbone of a distinguished career, and he has driven ambitious standards of care and innovation in medicine at a local, regional and national level.
“John has always championed Nottingham’s defining role in training medical talent and developing research innovation, and played a pivotal role in the creation and success of the new Lincoln Medical School to address a critical shortage of healthcare professionals for Lincolnshire.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, John has worked tirelessly to support local NHS partners and the national effort to tackle Covid-19. In his role as Co-Chair of the Medical Schools Council, he co-ordinated a national approach to ensure that medical students could continue to graduate, and that students could safely work on placement to support the NHS at a critical time with Trusts treating Covid-19 cases on hospital wards.”
Professor Atherton said:
“My work in the University of Nottingham has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life. At this stage it is people one remembers; I have been lucky to work with so many talented, principled and energetic staff and students. The future of education and research is in good hands! Thank you all.”
Professor John Atherton
The university will be working with an external recruitment agency to identify John’s successor as Pro-Vice-Chancellor and will aim to secure an appointment before his departure next Spring.
John’s medical education was at the University of Cambridge then Oxford, and following postgraduate training in medicine and gastroenterology, he trained in gastroenterology research in the UK as well as infectious disease research in the USA. He settled at the University of Nottingham in 1995 and became a full Professor in 2001, continuing to practice clinical gastroenterology as an NHS Consultant whilst teaching medical students and continuing his research.
From 2009 to 2013 he was Head of the School of Clinical Sciences and then from 2013 to 2015, following a merger of Schools, the first Dean of the new School of Medicine. Since 2015 he has been Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. His main research interests are in the virulence of the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori and the pathogenesis of peptic ulceration and gastric cancer.
He has held both MRC Clinician Scientist and Senior Clinical Fellowships and was awarded the Sir Francis Avery Jones Research Medal by the British Society of Gastroenterology. Outside the university he has served as Secretary-General of United European Gastroenterology, as Co-chair of UK Medical Schools Council and as a Non-Executive Director of University Hospitals Nottingham NHS Trust.
Tags: Medicine & Health Sciences, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Medicine & Health Sciences, Professor John Atherton
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