Campus News
Nottingham Confucius Institute Summer School 2023
June 26th, 2023
Taking place at Si Yuan Centre on Jubilee Campus, join us for our NCI Summer School on the following dates:
- Wednesday 5 July 2023, 6pm – 8pm
- Wednesday 12 July 2023, 6pm – 8pm
- Wednesday 19 July 2023, 6pm – 8pm
- Wednesday 26 July 2023, 6pm – 8pm
Each session will consist of a one-hour Mandarin lesson (suitable for both beginners and advanced) and a one-hour cultural workshop focusing on topics including Chinese tie-dye, Chinese brush painting and more. An optional informal talk session will then follow, for those who wish to stay and practice their Mandarin. Refreshments will also be provided.
You have until 12pm on Friday 30 June to register.
Tags: learn mandarin, Mandarin
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The Econverse Podcast launches today
June 26th, 2023
The School of Economics is proud to present The Econverse Podcast, a student-led initiative launching today with its first two episodes featuring alumni guests Myles Corson (EY) and Elizabeth Brower (Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office).
This new podcast invites inspirational guests from our global UoN community to provide valuable insights into their lives and careers after graduation.
Economics often involves topics like wealth and finance, but it’s not all about numbers, goods and services. At its core, Economics is about people, and how they construct and sustain societies.
With this in mind, Econverse is the place where intellectually stimulating conversations take place between students, academics and alumni designed to inspire and inform.
Each season will focus on a different theme, bringing students together with thought leaders, policy makers, and change agents from a range of disciplines.
The podcast is presented by undergraduate Economics students Aditi, Jack, Khushi and Sean, who had this to say about their involvement:
“Recording the podcast has been a double-win for us, as we’ve had the opportunity to create valuable content for a broad audience, whilst also learning about a range of fascinating topics and interesting careers open to us as Economics students.
“We cover the topical issues, but also explore the joys (and struggles) life can throw at you post-university. It’s ultimately about fostering a supportive community platform for current students and alumni to have rewarding conversations”
Listen on Spotify now, and don’t forget to click “follow” to subscribe to future episodes (released every Monday)
Connect with us on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook (all @uoneconomics)
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Staff Carers’ Network listening exercise
June 23rd, 2023
The Staff Carer’s Network would like to speak to colleagues in different job roles across the university who play a part – from near or far – in caring for a relative, friend or neighbour.
Are you someone who regularly gives support/ care to a relative, friend or neighbour? Or maybe you have someone in your life who needs support/ care but you do not live close to them and struggle with being at a distance?
The staff carers’ network is carrying out a project to find out more from colleagues who play a role in caring for a relative, friend or neighbour.
To this end, the project team would like to speak to colleagues in different job roles across the University of Nottingham about how their caring responsibilities align, or not, with their work and to hear any ideas about how they to be supported at work.
The project also aims to reach those who are not currently members of the staff carers’ network to be able to gain insight into a wider range of experiences of caring and to develop further initiatives to be more inclusive as a staff network.
How do you take part?
If you wish to take part, you can register your interest via the MS Form using the link below:
If you are selected to take part, a member of the network will be in contact to arrange the 1-2-1 interview. If you have any questions regarding the research you can email carers-network@nottingham.ac.uk or contact Isobel O’Neil.
What are the benefits in taking part?
You would be contributing to improving the carers’ network’s understanding of what barriers working carers may face across the university.
The staff carers’ network is there to help make our workplaces as inclusive as possible and in order to do this different experiences need to be heard and understood.
As a thank you for taking part in the research, you will receive a £10 voucher. This will be emailed to you after taking part as an amazon e-voucher.
What is a carer?
A carer is someone who is responsible for the care of a friend, relative or neighbour who may be ill, frail, have a disability, is mentally distressed or is suffering from substance misuse. The people you support would usually not be able to cope in life without your care.
What does taking part in the research mean for you?
You would take part in a 30-minute 1-2-1 conversation to share your views on a range of topics relating to your caring responsibilities. For example, you would be asked your views on using the term “carer”, on how you manage your caring responsibilities around your work, and on where and how you feel you are/ are not supported at work.
What is the Staff Carers’ Network?
The staff carers’ network is a staff network offering support for carers at the University of Nottingham. The network advocates for staff carers within the university community and beyond.
The network can signpost carers to information and support both within and outside the university.
Tags: Carer, carers, Staff Carer's Network
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Key Travel training workshop
June 23rd, 2023
The Key Travel account management team will be on campus on Tuesday 11 July 2023 from 11am – 2pm to answer any travel queries you may have.
Key Travel, the university’s contracted supplier of travel, will be coming on site on Tuesday 11 July.
Members of the Key travel account management team, along with UoN staff from our travel and expense services section, will be in attendance on the day.
The event will be based on University Park Campus at Lakeside Arts, room A30 (in the music block across from Lakeside’s main entrance).
We wish to encourage anyone who is involved with UoN Travel in any capacity to come along.
Snacks, sweet treats and other giveaways will be available during the day and anyone who attends will be given a raffle ticket for entry into the prize draw to receive a bag of travel-related goodies.
The format of the day is as follows:
11am – Online Travel Training and new communication methods
12noon – Q&A drop-in session
1pm – Online Training, portal and new comms part 2
2pm – Q&A session part 2
Tags: Key Travel, training workshop, travel training
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Summer graduation: volunteers needed
June 21st, 2023
Colleagues from across the university are invited to play a special part in this summer’s graduation ceremonies.
Volunteers are needed to be part of the graduation platform party for each of our ceremonies. Staff at all levels and from all job families are encouraged to take part.
The time commitment required to be a member of the platform party is two hours in total. You arrive 45 minutes before the start time of the ceremony to the staff robing room – upstairs at David Ross Sports Village – where you will be robed by Ede and Ravenscroft.
Around 20 minutes before the ceremony starts, you’ll be asked to form the academic procession which will be led down into the ceremony hall and marks the beginning of proceedings.
After an introduction by the Presiding Officer, students will be called to the stage to have their degrees conferred and you’ll be asked to applaud as the students cross the stage.
The ceremony generally lasts for an hour, after which the academic procession will leave the ceremony, returning to the robing room. Robes are collected back in and at that point you’re able to leave unless you want to stay and circulate with graduates in the post-ceremony refreshment area.
This summer we are holding graduation ceremonies between Tuesday 18 July and Wednesday 26 July 2023.
This is an amazing time to celebrate the achievements of our graduates and staff and feedback from students tells us that they really value seeing staff who have been involved in their learning and broader student experience at their ceremonies.
We are particularly low on-stage presence at the ceremony below:
Wednesday 19 July, 3:30pm – School of Medicine: BMBS
Thursday 20 July, 10:30am – School of Culture, Languages and Area Studies
Thursday 20 July, 3:30pm – School of Humanities: Classics and Archaeology, History
Friday 21 July, 1pm – Architecture and Built Environment
Saturday 22 July, (All ceremonies) – Faculty of Engineering departments
Monday 24 July, (All ceremonies) – Business School and School of Law
Tuesday 25 July, 1pm – School of Economics
Your support would be hugely appreciated – contact Laura Newton at graduation@nottingham.ac.uk to register by Monday 3 July 2023.
Tags: graduation, Graduation volunteer, graduation volunteering, staff volunteering, volunteering
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People and Culture Survey – our results
June 20th, 2023
Thank you to all of you who responded to the People and Culture Survey 2023. The results have given valuable insight into the experiences and thoughts of colleagues across the university.
Across our UK campuses, 63% of colleagues responded to the survey. There are strong positive themes to highlight, particularly around work expectations and contribution, and connection to the broader institution.
Most respondents:
- are clear about what is expected of them at work (81% of respondents agreed)
- have some say over the way they work (85%)
- care about the reputation and standing of the university (89%)
- are treated fairly and with respect by their line manager (87%)
- are clear about how their work contributes to the success of the university (82%)
However, there are also clear areas for improvement – particularly around the way that we manage change at the university, and in the way that we communicate with each other.
Respondents were least positive about the following areas:
- Good communication and collaboration between different parts of the university (20% of respondents agreed)
- Our university manages change effectively (24%)
- I believe our university will take action to make changes as a result of this survey (36%)
- Considering the duties and responsibilities of my post, I feel my pay is fair (40%)
- Senior leaders are open and honest in their communications with staff (43%)
The survey was carried out by an external company, People Insight. All data provided to the university is anonymised.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shearer West said: “I am grateful for colleagues’ time, energy and honesty in completing the survey.
“The detail and insight provided by the People and Culture Survey will be hugely valuable at all levels of the university.
“There are areas of concern that we will address centrally – with meaningful and sustainable actions. I am also looking forward to the local activity, responding to team-specific themes and issues.”
The results have been presented to the University Executive Board, who have noted the themes and are reflecting on the institutional actions that will be developed to address these results, to ensure we’re able to meet the objectives of the People and Culture Strategy.
Managers across all faculties and departments now have access to the results dashboard and action tracker. They can access their local data alongside institution-level results. All staff will be given the opportunity to discuss local themes and issues over the coming weeks, feeding into their local action plan.
Teams will have agreed their actions by the end of August – ask your line manager how you can contribute to your local plan. For the first time these will be reported and tracked through a central dashboard, and we will communicate progress regularly.
We can all monitor progress against institutional and local actions through quarterly reporting. Targeted pulse surveys addressing identified issues will take place from autumn 2023, with the first exploring work-related stress.
The next institution-wide People and Culture Survey is planned for spring 2025.
Tags: People and Culture Survey, People and Culture Survey 2023, staff survey
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Research Integrity Week 19-23 June 2023
June 19th, 2023
As part of our commitment to strengthen the integrity of research carried out across the university, the University of Nottingham Research Integrity and Research Ethics Committee, have organised Research Integrity Week for the third year.
Research Integrity is the professional commitment to conduct all research according to the appropriate legal, ethical and professional frameworks, obligations and standards. There are five core elements of research integrity: honesty, rigour, transparency and open communication, care and respect, and accountability.
Awareness of research integrity helps protect and value individual researchers, research participants and the research organisation and contributes to the quality and excellence of research. Researchers have a responsibility to ensure that all research is subject to appropriate consideration of professional, ethical, and legal issues.
The University of Nottingham is celebrating its commitment to ‘THE CONCORDAT TO SUPPORT RESEARCH INTEGRITY’ and its values through which trust and confidence in research stem, and from which the value and benefits of research flow.
Research Integrity Week intends to highlight many aspects, including ethical, where researchers will immensely benefit in delivering their research. We are inviting all members of staff and students to utilise this opportunity.
To register for any of the sessions below please complete and submit this form.
Monday 19 June
10am – 12.00pm – Introduction to the Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics
The University of Nottingham’s Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics provides a comprehensive framework for good research conduct and the governance of all research carried out across the university, including the university’s international campuses.
The Code underpins the university’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, rigour and excellence in all aspects of our research and for all research to be conducted according to the appropriate ethical, legal and professional frameworks and standards.
The Code is a fundamental component of the research environment, which is characterised by our culture of research integrity, good research practice, and the development and training of researchers at all stages of their careers.
The Code outlines the duty of researchers including their responsibilities towards all participants of research including humans, animals, the environment and cultural materials, and it provides a basis for the transparent and appropriate communication and dissemination of research findings.
Ali Alshukry (Head of Research Integrity, Risk and Compliance) introduces the university’s Code of Research Conduct and Research Ethics and provides an overview of Research Integrity and what it entails.
1pm – 3.30pm – Introduction to Research Ethics at UoN
Considering the ethical issues surrounding your research and gaining the approval of relevant review boards is an essential part of the Research process.
Ali Alshukry (Head of Research Integrity, Risk and Compliance) will outline the university’s Code of Practice for Research Ethics Committee to help researchers identify potential triggers for ethical concerns in their research project and how best to mitigate them.
Tuesday 20 June
11am – 12.30pm – Good research practice and a healthy research culture (UKRIO)
The standards for research seem to be fairly straightforward: be honest, take care of research participants, and don’t steal the work of others.
James Parry, Chief Executive of the UK Research Integrity Office will explore whether these assumptions are correct or if we need to think a bit more about what ethics and integrity mean for our research. What impact can ‘research culture’ – the environment and ethos of research organisations – have on the quality and ethical standards of research? Do incentives and competition improve the conduct of research or increase mistakes and other problems?
The session will look at the challenges involved in ensuring that research is high quality and of high ethical standards, discuss the pressures faced by researchers and explore what researchers and organisations can do to safeguard and enhance good research practice.
1pm-2.30pm – Trusted Research and Export Controls
Jason Feehily (Head of Trusted Research) and Ana Gadzhieva (International Risk and Export Controls Manager) introduce Trusted Research and what it entails, and provide an overview on Export Controls in academic research environment.
Trusted Research is applicable to anyone who has international collaborations but is particularly relevant to researchers in STEM subjects, dual-use technologies, emerging technologies and commercially sensitive research areas.
Wednesday 21 June
10am-11.30 pm – Reproducibility in Academic Research
Professor Malcolm MacLeod – Professor of Neurology and Translational Neuroscience – Academic Lead for Research Improvement and Research Integrity, University of Edinburgh and Honorary Consultant Neurologist, NHS Forth Valley.
Professor MacLeod led the application of systematic review and meta-analysis to the preclinical literature, initially as tool to inform drug selection for clinical trial. This approach also allowed evaluation of the prevalence and impact of reporting of measures to reduce risks of bias in preclinical research, and of publication bias. In turn this led to the development of guidelines for the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of preclinical research, and to work with publishers and industry to increase the usefulness and value of research.
He co-founded (with Howells) the Collaborative Approach to Meta-analysis and Review of Animal Data from Experimental Studies (CAMARADES), which has grown to be an international community of largely early career researchers.
Professor MacLeod firmly believes that research findings are of greatest value when they are used to inform changes in practice. A major goal has been to improve the reproducibility and quality of preclinical research through informing and improving standards and processes at institutions, publishers, funders and pharmaceutical companies.
This session will explore the topic of reproducibility in research, and touch on the work around the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN). He will also touch on the impact of his work on publishing, in response to the growing concern around reproducibility of biomedical Research.
1.30pm-3.00pm – Introduction to Research Contracts – Tips and Advice
If your research involves external parties (government bodies, companies, charities), then you will need a contract to agree project terms. Completion of a contract usually forms part of the external party’s terms of funding, and is required before they will release funds to the university. Contracts secure confidentiality, agree rights of publication and intellectual property ownership, protecting your research and future interests.
You should make a contract request if you are starting a new project, need to amend or terminate an existing project contract, or require some general contractual advice about your research. This includes situations where you need our team to draft the contract, or review a contract drafted by your project partners.
The session will introduce the Contracts team, when you need a contract, help you decide which contract you need, how to raise a contract, the process and tips and advice to avoid delays and speed up the process.
Thursday 22 June
10am-11.30am – ‘Open or closed? Finding the right balance with UoN Libraries and Digital Research’
Digital Research and Libraries Research Support look forward to discussing a range of activity that falls under the heading of ‘open research’, highlighting which elements of your research can, or should, be made openly available and where more limited access may be appropriate.
Jane Grogan is a Senior Research Librarian with the UoN Libraries’ Research Support team, providing advice on open access, research data, systematic literature search and publication profiles (e.g. ORCID). Jane is aligned with the Faculty of Arts. She also oversees the ESRC SafePod at the University of Nottingham, which facilitates access to secure data from organisations such as the ONS Secure Research Service and UK Data Service.
Jasper Donelan: Digital Research Specialist since 2019. Has a particular interest in using technology to support good data management practice. Jasper also manages the university’s Research Data User Group as well as the Compute Service User Group.
2.00pm- 3.30pm – Running the Publication Ethics Gauntlet (UKRIO)
Getting past desk rejection and Reviewer 2 can be daunting enough, but researchers also face ethical issues that can imperil even the purest of heart on their quest to publish.
Matt Hodgkinson, Research Integrity Manager at the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO), will help gird you for the challenges of journal publishing, taking in authorship disputes, retractions and corrections, dual submission and redundant publication, conflicts of interest (COIs), reporting guidelines and pre-registration, research ethics and consent, peer review norms and variations, plagiarism and text recycling, citations, copyright, licenses, and permissions, editing services, paper mills, and predatory journals, data and materials sharing, image and data manipulation, ethical editing, and business models.
What leads researchers into danger and how may they and their institutions ensure they stay on the right path?
Friday 23 June
10am-11.30am – Research Post Award- Financial Management and Compliance
The Post Award team are part of the Research and Innovation; they play a major role in delivering the Research Operations Vision; Deliver sector leading, high quality research management support to enable, support and facilitate research excellence and innovation. This session will explore the role of Post Award including the primary responsibility of financial management and compliance of externally funded research in line with the t’s & c’s of the external funder. Post Award, as subject matter experts, also provide a wide ranging advisory service, across the wider university.
The session will highlight key tips, advice, resources available to you at the University of Nottingham and provide an overview of the work that takes place behind the scenes.
12pm -1.30pm – What does it mean to be ethical and socially-just in ‘decolonial’ times?
Dr Manny Madriaga (Associate Professor in Education, Faculty of Social Sciences). His research interests are on the processes of social exclusion/inclusion related to ‘race’, ethnicity and disability. He is a sociologist of education currently engaged in research projects with a focus on widening participation and culturally relevant teaching in higher education.
He will explore consideration in research involving BAME and indigenous communities, provide examples of what to consider, when, and how towards more considerate and ethical research. He will also touch on things to lookout for and/or to avoid in research context.
You can register for the sessions by completing this form.
Tags: research, research integrity week
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Call for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion priorities funding 2023-24
June 19th, 2023
The university is pleased to offer the opportunity to apply for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Priorities Funding.
This funding is offered to projects that will help contribute towards our EDI Priorities for 2023/24, which are:
Priority Area 1: Diversification of the workforce and career development
- (1.1) Inclusive recruitment
- (1.2) Reward, recognition and career progression
Priority Area 2: Awareness raising and education
- (2.1) Write and implement an Institutional Disability Equality Action Plan
- (2.2) An antiracist university
- (2.3) Reproductive and gynaecological health awareness
- (2.4) LGBTQIA+ data collection and analysis
Priority Area 3: Support
- (3.1) Wellbeing resources
- (3.2) Neurodiversity support
- (3.3) Review the resources available to support LGBTQIA+ members of UoN
- (3.4) Understanding and learning from the lived experiences of our university community
Further details about the EDI Priorities for 2023/24 can be found on our one-page summary.
Projects can bid for funding between £500 to £3,000, but the project must:
- Be delivered and the funding spent in the academic year of 2023/24
- Clearly demonstrate how it will impact on the EDI strategic priority (and the associated action)
- Factor in evaluation that shows how the project has met the desired outcome
Your project can be Faculty, School or Department focused, as long as it aligns to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Priorities for 2023/24.
To apply for funding, please complete this MS Form.
Projects will be reviewed by our EDI Theme Leads and be ranked against the following criteria:
- Overall project innovation and case for support (score out of 5)
- Match with EDI Priorities (score out of 5)
- Impact measurement (score out of 5)
- Value for money (score out of 2)
- Sustainability (score out of 3)
- Suitable for funding under scheme/not suitable for funding
Deadline
The deadline for applications is Friday 1 September 2023 at 1pm, with decisions to be communicated to successful applicants by October.
All funds must be spent by 31 July 2024. If you have any general questions about the application process, please contact steven.macnamara@nottingham.ac.uk.
Ineligible costs
The fund should be used for developing new ideas and initiatives and should not be used to fund anything which could be considered ‘business as usual’ or something which is required in order for us to fulfil our legal or regulatory obligations.
Funding cannot be used for academic staff time buyout but may be used for supporting project activities, as long as the value of the award does not exceed £3,000 but matched funding may be considered if included as part of the application.
For more specific enquiries about your project or advice on submitting, please contact the EDI Coordinators.
Tags: EDI funding, EDI priorities
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King’s Birthday Honours for University Council member and former professor
June 19th, 2023
Former Council member Ian Kenyon and Professor Philip Dickens have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours, securing a CBE and MBE respectively.
Ian’s connection with the University of Nottingham began in his undergraduate days, studying Civil Engineering before going on to qualify as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse.
Following a twenty-year career in the retail sector, Ian took his expertise into the charity sector as CFO of Cancer Research UK.
He then joined the Higher Education sector as the first CFO and Deputy CEO of UK Research & Innovation which brought together the seven UK Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England.
Ian was appointed Treasurer and Chair of Finance Committee for the university’s Council in January 2020, contributing his considerable understanding of the relationships between the Higher Education sector and the research funding organisations.
In this voluntary role, Ian’s expertise proved invaluable in helping Council provide senior oversight and strategy for the university and he acted as a keen ambassador for our role in education and the community.
He provided insight into a range of significant financial and broader university decisions, ranging from multi-million-pound investments in new IT systems, to international partnerships, to the acquisition of a new campus in Nottingham city centre.
Ian has continued his relationship with the university throughout his career, sponsoring scholarships to give disadvantaged students the opportunity of study at Nottingham that he so enjoyed.
Whether as CFO, Treasurer, volunteer or provider of wise counsel, Ian was an inspiration to all who work with him on University Council.
Meanwhile, Professor Philip Michael Dickens retired from the university in 2020, and is one of the founders of of Added Scientific – a Faculty of Engineering spin-out.
The 66-year-old is considered the first true expert by the UK’s Additive Manufacturing (AM) community. Commonly referred to in the popular media as 3D printing, it is his research that has helped demonstrate that AM is a must have technology for the UK manufacturing sector to survive, compete and flourish on a global basis.
He is credited by his peers as providing the foundations for the adoption of this technology and instrumental in ensuring that the UK has grasped the potential of and maximised the benefits it offers.
He was the first academic worldwide to investigate multi-pass welding to make 3D metal shapes and the first to show the technical feasibility of injection moulding into stereolithography tool cavities.
His work led to a patent for its build style that is now used worldwide to make patterns for investment casting, a key industry underpinning aerospace and other high technology products.
Tags: Kings Birthday Honours
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New community of practice and framework for Change Management
June 19th, 2023
As part of developing change capability and delivering on its recently endorsed vision for change management, the university has launched a Change Management Community of Practice (CM CoP) and a Change Management Framework for those working in, or interested in, change and how it impacts people.
Change happens at all levels: local, project, programme, portfolio and organisational, so it is important that change capability is developed holistically to support this.
The development of the CoP and the Change Framework is being driven by the Planning, Performance and Strategic Change (PPSC) team, working collaboratively with colleagues from DTS, HR and Getting in Shape as well as throughout the wider organisation.
The core purpose of the CM CoP is to create a professional network of resourced, skilled change practitioners, project and line managers leading and supporting transformational change to help achieve the successful delivery of the university’s strategic ambitions and performance framework.
A launch event was held on Tuesday 25 April 2023 and the team were delighted that more than 60 colleagues from across the university were able to attend – growing the community membership to 110 members.
At the event, the Change Management SharePoint and Teams sites were also launched which give all members of the community access to a wide range of tools and templates as well as a place to ask questions and collaborate with colleagues.
The CM CoP will be taken forward with a series of lunch and learn events from September 2023, sharing of best practice and peer to peer support.
Feedback will also be gathered to help develop the toolkit and templates so that we can provide a range of tailorable tools that can be used by anyone.
The CM CoP is closely aligned with the Project Management Community of Practice and we aim to ensure that events are scheduled with both communities in mind.
If you would like to sign up to the Community of Practice, please complete this Form and visit the SharePoint site to learn more.
Based on the feedback received at the launch, the first “Lunch and Learn” session will focus on managing resistance.
Details and news of other events will be posted on the SharePoint and Teams sites.
Tags: change, change management, project management
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