Campus News
New medical school for Lincolnshire to boost local healthcare
March 20th, 2018
A new medical school, offering first-class medical education in Lincolnshire, is set to be established in an exciting collaboration between the University of Nottingham and the University of Lincoln.
The new University of Nottingham Lincoln Medical School is to go ahead following a successful joint bid for funding to the Higher Education Funding Council England and Health Education England last year. The Government had invited bids from new or existing medical schools for allocation of an extra 1,000 new undergraduate medical education places in England.
Students at the University of Nottingham Lincoln Medical School will study for a University of Nottingham BMBS medical degree at the University of Lincoln. Clinical placements will take place at hospitals, GP surgeries and other healthcare units in the county in collaboration with United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
The expansion of undergraduate medical training is part of a plan to increase the number of UK-trained doctors to ease staffing shortages in the NHS. The universities of Nottingham and Lincoln have secured funding for an initial 80 first year undergraduate places in September 2019 with a further 80 per intake in subsequent years. When it is at full capacity in a few years’ time, the school will deliver medical training to around 400 undergraduate students in Lincoln.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, Professor John Atherton, said: “We are very pleased and excited to announce this historic collaboration between two leading providers of education in the healthcare sector. We have been training doctors at Nottingham for almost 50 years and as a result standards of healthcare in the East Midlands have risen dramatically in that time. Our popular and pioneering medical degree is delivered by teachers who are also hands on clinicians and often world-leading clinical researchers in their field.”
Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Science at the University of Lincoln, Professor Libby John, said: “We want to encourage students in local schools to think about studying medicine here with us. In the longer term this will develop a pool of high-quality medical experts within the Lincolnshire community. The Medical School will make a huge difference to the people of Lincolnshire who will benefit from the establishment of this hub of medical expertise. It will be underpinned by the University of Lincoln’s outstanding infrastructure, research and employer partnerships.”
Jan Sobieraj, Chief Executive at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted a Lincolnshire medical school has been announced. This is fantastic news for the University, the NHS and our patients. I like to say well done to the universities for all their hard work in making this happen. Lincolnshire has a severe shortage of doctors in a range of specialities, and ULHT is greatly affected by this. We believe a local medical school will help us in the longer-term with recruiting doctors and keeping them in county, as people tend to stay in the areas where they train.”
Prospective medical students will be able to apply through UCAS for the 5-year University of Nottingham BMBS medical degree at Lincoln from September 2018 for entry in September 2019.
Both universities have a strong commitment to widening participation to a career in medicine and have additionally established a 6-year degree with a Foundation year, designed to widen participation in medicine, which will also be available to applicants from non-traditional backgrounds.
Tags: BMBS, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, health, Medical School, medicine, Professor John Atherton, Professor Libby John, University of Nottingham Lincoln Medical School
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University Park road closure
March 16th, 2018
The North Entrance on University Park will be closed for roadworks from 8am until 12pm on Saturday 24 March.
Staff needing to access the campus during this period will need to use an alternative entrance. The North Exit will remain open.
During the closure, bus services that would normally use the North entrance to gain access to the campus will be re-routed as follows:
- The Sutton Bonington hopper bus will not stop at the East entrance stop (on journeys from Sutton Bonington) and George Green Library stop (on journeys from Sutton Bonington and from Nottingham city centre). Passengers are advised to instead use East Drive and the Arts Centre. Normal service will resume with the 13.20 journey from Sutton Bonington.
- NCT’s 34 service will not stop at George Green Library stop. Passengers are advised to instead use the East Drive or Arts Centre bus stops.
Please note that Saturday 24 March is the final day that students can move out of catered halls, so there may be some congestion around campus. Students have been notified of the entrance closure but we would appreciate the support of staff in passing the message on.
View a map of the affected area.
Tags: accommodation, halls, move out, north entrance, road works, roadworks, University Park
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Tributes paid to Baroness Brenda Dean
March 16th, 2018
Colleagues have paid tribute to Baroness Brenda Dean, who died last week (March 2018).
Baroness Dean served as a member of the University Council from 2012. She was also Honorary President of Women in Nottingham, supporting Prof Marion Walker, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), in her work on Athena SWAN and the broader EDI agenda.
“Baroness Brenda Dean was a truly inspirational lady,” Professor Walker said. “She worked with staff at all levels and provided her unstinting support for gender equality through her membership on University Council.
“Brenda was a very resilient woman who fought hard for her beliefs; always unafraid of tackling difficult areas. She was passionate about many things and provided her full support to the causes she believed in. The Women in Nottingham will miss her wise counsel, her boundless energy and support and I will personally miss her much valued friendship and mentorship.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West added: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of Brenda. While I had only the brief pleasure of working with her as an esteemed member of our University Council, her vitality and enthusiasm never failed to impress me. Her devotion to our University community of staff and students was evident in all of her work.
“Brenda’s contribution to our University was informed by a long and successful career in public service. My thoughts are very much with her family and friends.”
Former Vice Chancellor Professor Sir David Greenaway shared his memories of working with Baroness Dean.
“As a leader and role model, Brenda Dean was way ahead of her time. She led the print union at a time of great change; and Chaired the Armed Forces Pay Review Body, a quintessentially male dominated profession. I was genuinely privileged to work with and learn from Brenda on the AFPRB, and of course on the University Council.
“Good judgement is a very rare quality, and Brenda’s judgement was exquisite; when she spoke, everyone listened. On a personal level, Brenda was a keynote speaker at a Public Policy Conference at Nottingham in my honour in September 2017. At the time that felt really special, now I understand just how special it was. I will miss her.”
John Mills, Chair of Council, added: “Brenda had a warmth and vibrancy that made an impression on all who had the good fortune to spend time with her. Combining those qualities with a sharp mind and a great understanding of people from whatever background ensured she made a remarkable contribution to everything she invested her time in.
“I will miss her advice and the balance and common sense she brought to Council and our University. In my last conversation with her she reflected on how important supporting the University of Nottingham was to her and we should be proud of that, and of knowing her.”
Baroness Dean was awarded an honorary degree – Doctor of Laws – at the University in July 2000. In the oration, Professor Nick Manning, then Head of the School of Sociology and Social Policy, now Emeritus Professor, said:
“Brenda Dean is an outstanding example to those of you graduating today, for it is the energy and application of our skills that are essential to becoming effective colleagues. She has the reputation of being a highly effective contributor to her many and varied public duties.
“Without these special qualities so generously given by her, and people like her, the public life of this country would be immeasurably the poorer.”
Brenda was created a Life Peer The Rt Hon. the Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde in 1993 and a member of the Privy Council in 1998.
Her many current appointments included Partnership Non-Executive Director of National Air Traffic Services (NATS) and Group Board Director of Places for People. She was Vice‑President of the War Widows Association and President of Abbeyfield Society Charity. Brenda was also a Trustee of the Thomson Foundation and of University College Hospital Cancer Charity. Her past appointments included that of Chairman of the Housing Corporation, Chairman of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body and President of the College of Occupational Therapy, member of the Royal Commission on the Future of the House of Lords and the House of Lords Appointments Commission.
Brenda was a member of the National Committee of Inquiry into the Future of Higher Education – the Dearing Committee. She has been a Council member of City University, London, the Open University and the London School of Economics. She was a strong advocate for the University, Nottingham and higher education generally in the House of Lords.
She started her working life in the trade union movement and was subsequently elected General Secretary Society of Graphical and Allied Trades (SOGAT), the printing, publishing and paper trades union.
Tags: Baroness Brenda Dean
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RIS — find out more at roadshows across the University
March 16th, 2018
*ARTICLE UPDATED 20 MARCH WITH NEW SUTTON BONINGTON DATE/VENUE*
Roadshows showcasing the Research Information System (RIS) take place from Tuesday 20 March onwards, giving colleagues the opportunity to find out about the new functionality that will be coming online over the next few months.
RIS provides a structured way of managing the preparation, approval and submission of grant applications, as well as providing a user-friendly interface to enable projects to be managed more effectively. RIS has already replaced pFact and will replace a number of other university systems with a single, modern, integrated tool.
The RIS project sponsor and Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Science, Prof Kevin Shakesheff, will host a series of roadshows to showcase new functionality within RIS prior to its launch across the university. This will include a demo as well as an opportunity to ask questions. There’s no need to sign up – just turn up on the day.
- 4-5pm, Tuesday 20 March: A48, Clive Granger, University Park
- 3-4pm, Wednesday 21 March: CLT2, Exchange Building, Jubilee
- 3-4pm, Monday 26 March: B3, Life Sciences
- 9:30am, Tuesday 17 April: DSN 205, School of Health Sciences, Derby City Hospital
- 3:30-4:30pm,Tuesday 17 April: A50, Clinical Science Building, City Hospital
- 10:30am-11:30am, Friday 27 April: A3, Lecture block, Sutton Bonington
The first part of the RIS programme – enabling research staff to find funding opportunities and develop funding applications – went live within all faculties last June.
RIS is now being linked to the Agresso system to automatically generate project codes and budgets and to enable expenditure to be tracked against awards. The first part of the award management process, which includes the formal acceptance of an award and credit split approvals, has successfully passed user acceptance testing and a pilot has started in the Faculty of Engineering.
Work is also underway to use RIS to support the University’s REF 2021 submission. The first part of this work focuses on using RIS to deposit and manage outputs. The RIS deposit process will be demonstrated in the roadshows and will then be piloted and rolled out across the University over the coming months.
Tags: REF 2021, Research Information System, RIS
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BUCS Big Wednesday comes to Nottingham
March 14th, 2018
One of the biggest sporting events in the university calendar is heading to the University of Nottingham.
On Wednesday 21 March 2018, thousands of athletes and spectators will be visiting Nottingham for the BUCS Big Wednesday event. The day includes finals across 14 different team sports including football, rugby and hockey — and features the top student teams from across the United Kingdom.
Hoping to hit gold are several University of Nottingham teams, including Women’s Squash and Men’s and Women’s Table Tennis — all of whom are seeking to defend their national titles from the 2017 competition in Bath.
Tickets are now on sale for all venues, with a discounted rate of just £2 for University of Nottingham students and staff.
Proceeds from all sales from University of Nottingham will be donated to the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre (CBTRC) — the Official Charity Partner of University of Nottingham Sport.
Follow the action on Facebook.
Tags: BUCS Big Wednesday, CBTRC, Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre, Green and gold, sport, University of Nottingham Sport, UoN Sport
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School of Medicine launches innovative new course in Cancer Sciences
March 14th, 2018
A new BSc/MSci course in Cancer Sciences is being launched by the School of Medicine (Division of Cancer and Stem Cells) for 2019 entry.
The BSc will be a three year, internationally supported, research intensive, undergraduate degree in cancer sciences – and will be the first course of its kind available in the UK.
It will equip undergraduate students with core scientific skills required to embark on, and progress to specialism in, research in cancer sciences in the pharmaceutical, biotech, finance and contract research industries, as well as in the academic cancer research field.
The programme will educate students in the normal functioning of the human body, including basic molecular and cellular biology, physiology, biochemistry and immunology, which will provide both the breadth and depth of basic biological and medical sciences for the cancer context.
The course will be delivered in association with the School of Life Sciences ensuring an ethos of multidisciplinarity, enabling cancer research students to work across research disciplines. In developing the course staff in the Division of Cancer and Stem Cells have also worked with Pharmacy, Veterinary Sciences and Engineering to understand the aspects of these courses that have made their pedagogical approach a successful one.
From their second year onwards students will receive some elements of their teaching in the new Centre for Cancer Sciences (CCS), located in the new multidisciplinary CBS building. Year three of the degree will be hosted in the CCS as research seminars and laboratory projects. Those students taking the four year MSci version will spend part of their final year on placement in industry or in a Centre of Excellence, nationally or internationally.
Professor David Bates, Director of the University of Nottingham Centre for Cancer Sciences said: “We are excited that we will be offering this innovative first of its kind, bespoke course, training the next generation of scientists for the global cancer research industry. Half of UK people will get cancer, and new treatments will always be needed. These will be developed by well-trained cancer scientists in industry, business and academia, who are passionate about changing health outcomes for people all over the world. The University of Nottingham is proud to be at the forefront of innovative training for the global cancer research industry.”
Find out more about this course.
Tags: Cancer Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, Centre for Cancer Sciences (CCS), Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, Professor David Bates, School of Medicine
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2018 Teaching and Learning Conference
March 13th, 2018
This year’s Teaching and Learning Conference — ‘Digital Learning in Higher Education’ — will take place from 9am-5pm, Thursday 19 April at the ESLC Building, and will include a keynote presentation by Professor Phil Race.
Formal invitations have now been extended via Eventbrite to those who have already registered to attend the conference.
If you are yet to register and would still like to do so, please notify the team at UA-TL-Conference@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk as soon as possible.
Further information can also be found on the Teaching and Learning Conference webpage.
Tags: annual teaching and learning conference, Digital Learning in Higher Education, Teaching and Learning Conference Teaching and Learning Conference 2018
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Researchfish submissions deadline
March 13th, 2018
The deadline for submissions to Researchfish, the platform that enables researchers to log the outputs, outcomes and impacts of their work and share these with funders, is 4pm, Thursday 15 March.
The University of Nottingham’s Research and Innovation team asks research staff to ensure that their awards have been submitted at Researchfish.
All seven UK Research Councils use Researchfish to track their investments in research and the University’s annual submission to the organisation contributes to our funding.
For more information please contact zahra.sheraz@nottingham.ac.uk.
The University of Nottingham was the first research organisation to subscribe to Researchfish in 2012 when it evolved from the Medical Research Council’s eVal system.
Researchfish allows research funders to measure research impact and report on more than £45 billion of funding to government, their donors and other stakeholders.
Tags: awards, funding, research, Research and Innovation, Researchfish
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British Science Association Media Fellowship Scheme — entries for 2018 are open
March 13th, 2018
Entries are now open for a University funded Fellowship from the British Science Association Media Fellowship Scheme.
Would you like to discover what it’s like to work as a science journalist on a national newspaper, television news desk or Nature News? How would you like to spend 2-6 weeks in a national news organisation or programme-making team?
This year, Communications and Advocacy within External Relations is funding one place for an academic to participate in the British Science Association (BSA) Media Fellowship scheme.
The BSA Media Fellowship scheme — which is the only one of its kind in the UK — gives practicing scientists, clinicians, engineers and social sciences and arts academics the unique opportunity to spend 2-6 weeks working at the heart of a media outlet such as the Guardian, the BBC or the Times. Fellows on the scheme are mentored by professional journalists. They learn how the media operates and reports on science, how to communicate with the media and how to engage the wider public with science through the media.
The scheme, which has been run by the BSA since 1987, aims to give academics the confidence and willingness to engage with the media and tackle issues of mistrust and misrepresentation and to give journalists access to new scientific expertise. The scheme also reflects the association’s commitment to increasing the accessibility of the sciences and providing opportunities for discussion and debate.
After their media placement Fellows will attend the British Science Festival in September (this year in Hull), which provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience working alongside a range of media organisations from all over the UK in the BSA’s dedicated Press Centre. The Festival also offers opportunities to learn from a wide range of public engagement activities and network with academics, journalists and science communicators.
- In 2017, Dr Rebecca Dewey, from Physics and Astronomy, had a stint on BBC Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show. Watch the video about her experience.
- In 2012 Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology, became a Media Fellow. Since then he has been interviewed by media organisations across the world and is a regular contributor to the BBC World Service. He has been interviewed and quoted extensively on the Ebola crisis. He spoke at a media workshop for fellow academics on his journey from ‘Media sceptic to Believer’.
Find out more:
The deadline for applications is 9am, Monday 9 April 2018. A shortlist of applications will be put forward by the Communications and Advocacy team, with the final successful applicant chosen by the BSA.
For more details on taking part in this year’s fellowship scheme — including key dates, eligibility and an entry form for University of Nottingham-funded placements — please visit the scheme webpage.
Tags: British Science Association, BSA, media, Media Fellowship Scheme
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Industrial action: ACAS proposal
March 13th, 2018
Following talks at ACAS, UUK and UCU negotiators have published the terms of a new joint proposal on the USS pension. However, the Higher Education Committee of UCU and university branches rejected the alternative proposal, and refused to call off industrial action.
The proposal outlined a transitional arrangement for three years from 1 April 2019, which would have retained defined benefits (DB) for all scheme members up to a salary threshold of £42,000; supported by higher financial contributions (employers – rising from 18% to 19.3% and scheme members – rising from 8% to 8.7%). It would also have changed the accrual rate from 1/75 to 1/85; capped indexation and revaluation at CPI up to 2.5%; and removed the 1% match.
UCU and UUK would have convened an independent expert group of academics and pension professionals to examine the methodology, assumptions and monitoring of the scheme’s valuation. UUK and UCU would have also worked together to explore alternative options for the future of the scheme beyond the transitional arrangement which would end in 2022.
Had the transitional proposal been accepted it was expected that industrial action would be suspended from Wednesday 14 March.
Tags: ACAS, Industrial Action, pensions, UCU, UCU Pensions, UUK
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