February 27th, 2023
The Institute for Policy and Engagement is pleased to announce a call for proposals under a new initiative: Policy Impact through Citizen Science (PICS).
The voices of citizens and the voices of researchers both have powerful roles to play in developing better-informed, more grounded policy decisions. With this initiative, we aim to bring both together.
Funded by Research England’s QR-Policy Support Fund, PICS offers the opportunity for an academic at the university to explore the connections between public engagement with research, evidence-informed policy, and active citizenship in a unique and innovative way.
This is aligned to the university’s civic strategy delivery plan.
We are looking for proposals for projects that involve the public in data gathering to support the generation of new insights relevant to a specific policy priority at the local level in the city of Nottingham. This could be on a wide range of topics – you could focus on anything from food bank use to urban pollution to energy usage. You could ask people to collect samples, document landscapes or log data associated with their computers. The key requirement is that the project speaks to an issue of importance to local policy makers and local citizens alike.
We’ll support you to plan and deliver a citizen science project with Nottingham residents and to develop a plan to showcase your findings and recommendations to local policy makers and the public. This will include a celebration/launch event with the public and policy makers, to share insights from the research and from the initiative as an approach to policy impact. The Institute will provide support on the policy impact approach and on organising the event.
Our ambition is not just to add value to the specific policy question under consideration, but to show that academic research and citizens working together can be a powerful new way to tackle policy challenges, develop new insights and imagine new solutions.
We will be holding and briefing an information event on Thursday 9 March to answer any questions you may have about this opportunity.
To sign up, please visit the Online Event Page | Eventbrite.
We will be running a two-stage application for this opportunity. Firstly, we will open a very light touch call for Expressions of Interest with a deadline of 24 March 2023. Based on EOIs, we will identify which projects are of most potential interest to local policy stakeholders and invite the relevant PIs to submit a full application.
The deadline for full applications is 26 May 2023. We aim to respond to all applicants by 9 June 2023, and to be in a position to initiate the successful project(s) by September 2023.
The funding available for project costs is up to a maximum of £50,000.
We are looking to fund at least one PICS project as a pilot for this model. In addition to the project costs, we have reserved further funding to support the production of policy-focused assets to share the findings and implications, and for the launch event.
We would ideally look for a PI with experience in either citizen science or policy impact, but we do not expect you to have experience in both.
Support will be available from the Institute and the project budget allows you to commission specialist advice from an external partner or agency.
If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact the Institute for Policy and Engagement.
Tags: Institute for Policy and Engagement, PICS, Policy Impact through Citizen Science
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February 27th, 2023
International Women’s Day (IWD) takes place on Wednesday 8 March 2023, with activities taking place at the university throughout the month.
The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is #EmbraceEquity:
Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have.
A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA.
And it’s critical to understand the difference between equity and equality.
The IWD 2023 campaign theme drives worldwide understanding why Equal opportunities aren’t enough!
For International Women’s Day and beyond, let’s all fully #EmbraceEquity.
We invite the entire university to be part of this conversation and show how you are breaking gender stereotypes. Why not share a photo and caption on Tuesday 8 March using #EmbraceEquity, #WeAreUoN, #IWD_UoN.
Highlights of the month include:
IWD Creative Challenge Competition
Prize giving event Wednesday 15 March, from 3pm
Lakeside Arts
Share with us an original creation made by you on the topic of International Women’s Day. These will be shared on Padlet and an in person showcase of all submissions will take place on Wednesday 8 March. Open to all. Mediums include (but not limited to): drawing, painting, comics, photography, video, graphic design, posters, pottery, collage, poetry, dancing, essay or story writing, storytelling, music, mosaic, mixed media, textiles, baking etc.
Students/staff will vote. The top three entries will win a prize and will be announced at a prize giving event.
Submit your creative work here by Monday 6 March 2023.
Let’s Talk Periods and Menopause: International Women’s Day 2023
Wednesday 22 March, from 1.15pm – 2.45pm
Online via Microsoft Teams
Join us for our Central Event for this year’s International Women’s Day – an exciting interactive session open to staff and students. This workshop, led by two guest facilitators and experts in this field, will help increase your understanding and awareness of the impact of menstruation and menopause and period poverty, and encourage you to speak up and tackle stigma associated with menstruation and the menopause.
Book your place here
Infertility, Miscarriage, and Child Loss in Academia: Raising Awareness and Offering Support
Monday 27 March, from 11am – 1pm
Hybrid event: Online via Microsoft Teams and Council Dining Room, Trent Building, University Park
Staff members are invited to change the narrative around infertility, dispel myths, break isolation and shame, and create a community that cares. Our speakers will talk about assisted reproduction/IVF, male infertility, and share advice on how to support a colleague or friend who has experienced pregnancy/child loss. Some common misconceptions are that reproductive health issues affect only women or that they can’t happen to people who already are parents.
Key speakers Dr Nick Raine-Fenning (UoN, TFP Nurture) , Ciaran Hannington (HIMFertility) and Ruth Bender Atik (Miscarriage Association).
Find a full list of events to get involved with for this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations.
Tags: Embrace Equity, Equity, International Women's Day, International Women's Day 2023, IWD, IWD 2023, IWD 23
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February 24th, 2023
The university has added to our Digital Skills programme so that you can prepare for future technologies in the modern workplace.
Our Digital Skills programme can give you access to a wide range of high-quality courses from a variety of providers including professional certification from Microsoft and SAP.
We recently added new courses on the following subjects:
Data and AI may seem a bit daunting, which is why we’ve gathered a set of high quality, free introductory courses on these topics.
These courses are aimed at all students, no matter your area of study. Completing these courses will give you a better understanding of data and AI, whilst also providing you with skills to add to your CV or LinkedIn profile.
You can also gain valuable skills to help you succeed in today’s digital economy with industry recognised Digital Certifications to develop the real-world skills that make you more employable.
Organised by Nottingham University Business School (NUBS), these certifications are available to all students at the University.
For the Microsoft Certifications, the University has agreed with Microsoft that students get a first exam attempt for free. The SAP exams have a cost, but we’ve agreed a student discount.
Tags: AI, data, Digital Certifications, Digital skills, digital skills programme
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February 23rd, 2023
The university is conducting a survey for researchers to gain valuable feedback for improvements across the university.
We’re inviting you to complete the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2023.
This survey is not about league tables. Your insights and feedback will inform meaningful improvements in researcher provision, resources and culture across the university.
It’s quick and easy to complete the survey. An email with a personalised survey link will be sent to your university email address from Wednesday 1 March. The deadline for completing the survey is Sunday 30 April.
If you work with postgraduate researchers, we are asking for your support in encouraging researchers to complete this survey. The more responses we receive, the better we can understand how to improve our provision.
This survey will only be available to postgraduate researchers and findings will be included in Faculty Improvement plans.
Find out more: Nottingham.ac.uk/PRES2023
Tags: Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, PRES
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February 23rd, 2023
Microsoft is introducing number matching for MFA – a more secure way of logging into our systems. No action is required from users at the moment.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) helps prevent unauthorised access to university IT systems, such as Microsoft 365, VPN, Virtual Desktop and Remote Desktop. There are a variety of ways to approve authentication depending on the device you use and your preferred method, but the Microsoft Authenticator app is the university’s recommended method.
If you currently use the Microsoft Authenticator app, from Monday 27 February, you will begin to see a number on-screen when entering your username into a system that requires you to use MFA. Simply enter that number into the Microsoft Authenticator app to log in. If you have configured your device to opt-in to phone sign-in, as outlined below, you will no longer need to enter your password.
Microsoft have introduced number matching as it eradicates the risk of accidental MFA approval should your account be targeted by criminals.
What is phone sign-in?
Separate to number matching, phone sign-in is a Microsoft feature that allows users to authenticate MFA requests using their smartphone alone – no password or username is required.
What is the benefit of enabling phone sign-in?
Passwords are a primary target for cybercrime. Phone sign-in helps to mitigate this risk as you will not need to remember passwords or worry about others stealing them. Phone sign-in makes logging into systems quicker and more secure.
What steps do I need to follow to start using phone sign-in?
In order to start using phone sign-in, you must follow the steps below. You can complete these steps now.
1. Open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone (or install it if you haven’t already)
2. Your email address is displayed – click on it
3. Select ‘Set up phone sign-in’
4. Follow the instructions in the app to finish registering your account for phone sign-in
If you use the Microsoft Authenticator app on more than one phone, you will also need to follow the above steps on your other phone(s).
What will I see when logging into a system that requires MFA?
Once you have enabled phone sign-in, the next time you log onto a system that requires MFA, such as Microsoft 365, you will be prompted to enter your password as usual. After doing so, you should then see an option saying ‘Use app instead’ – click on this to start using phone sign-in.
Note: You may see a page saying ‘Request has not been sent’ in place of a number. This simply means there is a pending authentication that has not been approved/ denied within the app. You will need to open and approve or deny the authentication.
If you do not currently use the Microsoft Authenticator app to log into systems, you will experience no change and you will be able to log into your systems as usual.
What if I don’t follow the steps above?
We strongly recommended you enable phone sign-in on your phone. It is more secure, and you will no longer need to enter your password into systems that use MFA.
If you do not enable phone sign-in, you will need to enter your email address and password into systems, followed by the number matching element in the Microsoft Authenticator app.
If you have any questions, please contact the IT Service Desk in the first instance.
Tags: MFA, Microsoft 365, Microsoft authenticator, Multi-factor authentification, phone sign-in
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February 23rd, 2023
The university has invested in new Progress lanyards; these represent the Progress flag, which has been adopted by the LGBTQIA+ community and now flies from the Trent Building on key occasions like LGBT+ History Month.
The Progress flag uses the original rainbow flag but includes black and brown to represent people of colour within the community, and the colours pink, light blue and white to represent trans, non-binary and intersex people as well as those across the gender spectrum.
The Progress lanyards will be distributed to those in the university who demonstrate allyship to the LGBTQIA+ community, such as by attending an LGBT+ History Month event throughout February – including the central event on Friday 24 February, Behind the Rainbow: Demystifying LGBTQIA+.
To commemorate LGBT+ History Month, the university’s LGBTQIA+ Staff Network has also produced an inspiring short film focused on coming out as it has been experienced by members of the staff and student community at UoN.
In the video, we see that every coming out story is different. Grace, Myles, Rowan, James and Heather share their coming out stories with Craig Butterworth, co-chair of the university’s LGBTQIA+ Staff Network.
Watch the video below:
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February 22nd, 2023
A new plan has been created to increase the choice and quality of student housing, maximise the benefits of a large student population and better tackle any associated challenges for communities in Nottingham.
Being home to two popular, world-class universities brings huge benefits to Nottingham. Students are important to the culture of the city, its economy and social scene and Nottingham’s national and international reputation. Both universities add a combined £3.8billion to the UK economy every year and support around 14% of the local economy, plus 25,000 jobs across the area.
The Student Living Strategy marks the first time that Nottingham City Council, the University of Nottingham, and Nottingham Trent University have made a formal commitment to work proactively together on shared priorities for housing and local services, as well as maximising the benefits that students bring to Nottingham.
Together they have launched a four-week consultation so people in the city can have their say on the proposals.
The Student Living Strategy sets out three main priorities:
Examples of how this will work in practice:
Nottingham is a fantastic city which will continue to be a popular choice for students in the future, but rising numbers of students living in shared houses can have an impact on the number of homes available for families. By actively encouraging the development of purpose-built student accommodation and using planning policy to restrict the conversion of family homes into shared rental properties, the council has taken steps to ensure families aren’t priced out of the market.
The council will also continue to use property accreditation and rented housing licences such as Selective, Additional and Mandatory HMO licensing, to help raise housing standards in rented student housing and act when properties aren’t up to scratch.
Most students are good neighbours, and only a small percentage of reported antisocial behaviour in the city relates to students. But in some communities, with larger populations of student residents, challenges connected to waste, anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and litter can become an issue.
In recent years, the universities have funded up to 2,000 hours of additional Community Protection Officer patrols to tackle noise and antisocial behaviour in areas with the highest concentration of students. Student-facing campaigns encourage respect and participation in communities, including a ‘Welcome to the Community’ initiative; crime prevention; waste and recycling action days; leaflet drops; door knocking and encouragement to become Community Engagement Ambassadors.
Going forward, the universities have made a joint commitment to invest around £1M into the prevention and enforcement of issues related to waste, noise and other ASB this year. This is around a three-fold increase in spend since 2019/20.
There are almost 62,000 full time students studying in the city and both students and graduates bring vast economic, social, and cultural benefits to Nottingham. Each year, thousands of students undertake work placements and projects in Nottingham city businesses. Both universities run internship and placement schemes for students and graduates, many in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), charities or social organisations.
In line with national figures, around 30% of graduates stay in Nottingham or the East Midlands. By staying here, they contribute to Nottingham remaining vibrant and attractive and by investing their talent back into the local area, they are strengthening the city’s workforce, especially by retaining graduates in key professions where there are national shortages, for example. doctors, nurses, teachers, vets.
Dr Paul Greatrix, Registrar at the university said:
“This strategy will offer a new and positive partnership approach to dealing with challenges around ensuring the availability of good quality, appropriate housing for all Nottingham residents, building vibrant, positive communities and ensuring that we are capitalising on the talent and potential of the people who come to study and live in our city.
“We are keen to hear from students, other local residents and employers about how we achieve these positive outcomes for all.”
Partners want to hear from the public on these plans.
A consultation runs from Wednesday 22 February to Friday 24 March 2023.
This consultation is open to everyone, including students, residents, businesses, community groups and charities and more.
You can complete the consultation survey here.
Tags: consultation, Student living, Student Living consultation, Student Living Strategy
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February 21st, 2023
The university’s Safeguarding Steering Group has a number of new recommendations and procedures available for all staff groups, including those in student-facing roles.
All new staff members should complete the Safeguarding in Higher Education e-Learning training as part of their induction, available here.
Student-facing staff with close student contact should complete the two-hour interactive online workshops ‘Safeguarding at UoN’.
This includes; Senior & Personal Tutors, teaching staff, student-facing APM staff in Faculties, Mental Health Advisory & Counselling Services, Registry & Academic Affairs, Sport & Library staff, Careers and Employability, Campaigns and Alumni Relations Office, those working with apprentices and under 18s, those working with adults at risk, technicians, hall management and Res X teams, security and the Conduct & Investigation Team.
This training is being delivered monthly on an ongoing basis.
Student-facing staff members can find dates for the training and book a place here.
This training should be repeated every three years – however, there may be differences for some staff, such as those working with Apprentices. They will be communicated with separately.
Estates staff who have student-facing roles will also be communicated with separately about their Safeguarding Training arrangements.
There will also be further updates about new Safeguarding training developed to support staff working with under 18-year-olds.
Regular Safeguarding updates and training will be provided in Safeguarding Leads meetings for dissemination across faculties as appropriate.
Higher Education bodies have a due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. It is expected that appropriate staff members should have sufficient training to be able to recognise vulnerability to being drawn into terrorism and be aware of what action to take in response.
All new staff members should complete the Prevent or Inclusive Campus – Safeguarding and Awareness of Extremism online e-Learning courses as part of their induction, available here.
In addition, staff who may have significant safeguarding-related student contact, including all managers in the Wellbeing Service, Safeguarding Leads, Senior Tutors and staff working with Apprentices, should also access the East Midlands Regional Prevent Coordinator for HE/FE led training.
Details of how to book onto this training will be shared with relevant staff groups and attendance registers will be maintained by the Regional Coordinator. This training should be repeated every three years.
Regular Prevent updates will be provided in Safeguarding Leads meetings for dissemination across faculties as appropriate.
Details of Safeguarding leads across all Faculties and Professional Service Departments are available on the UoN Safeguarding Resources SharePoint site.
University-wide Safeguarding Procedures to support our Safeguarding Policy are now available.
The procedures provide staff with practical guidance on how to respond to safeguarding concerns. They cover a number of issues, such as record keeping, information sharing, safer recruitment and working with those under the age of 18.
For any questions about Safeguarding Procedures, please contact Senior Manager for Safeguarding, Laura Sanderson.
Tags: Safeguarding, Safeguarding Policy, Safeguarding procedures, Safeguarding training
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February 21st, 2023
Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam will step aside as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences as he reaches the conclusion of his interim appointment in Spring 2023 and take on a new part-time role as Senior Strategy Adviser in Medicine for the University.
The new role will enable ‘JVT’, as he is affectionately known, to continue to support and maintain the momentum on improvements for the School of Medicine, advise the Vice Chancellor and Executive Board about the strategic future of medicine in the University, and continue to represent the University’s interests in medicine and healthcare more broadly, whilst enabling him to construct a portfolio approach to the latter part of his career which encompasses his many external interests and appointments.
A global search will now commence for a substantive Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences. Professor Clive Roberts, currently Head of the School of Life Sciences, will lead the faculty on an interim basis in the meantime, whilst Professor Susan Anderson will become interim Head of School.
A new advisory group chaired by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane Norman will support JVT, School of Medicine Dean Professor Claire Stewart and colleagues in continuing to deliver the programme to improve its leadership, culture, research and the student experience.
During his period as Pro-Vice-Chancellor, JVT has led significant changes, particularly in the School of Medicine, to transform its leadership and improve culture, appointing Professor Claire Stewart as the new Dean and Head of the School of Medicine, Professor Claire Sharpe as Dean of Medical Education, and Jonathan Lamley as Head of Medical School Operations. He has also appointed Professor Ben Ollivere as the new Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research Knowledge and Exchange following Richard Eames’ departure to Nottingham Trent University.
JVT has also overseen the final stages of securing the landmark Memorandum of Understanding with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust which will improve healthcare practices and outcomes for people living in the city and county as well as opportunities for further collaboration in relation to student education and training, research and innovation, people and infrastructure across the two organisations.
Looking back on his achievements and ahead to his new role, Professor Van Tam said:
“I have been a member of the University of Nottingham community for most of my adult life and it was a privilege to return from government to the role of interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor where a big task lay ahead – to re-establish momentum and direction across the Faculty and in particular to lead the School of Medicine in turning a corner.
“The last ten months have been a true whirlwind of activity and the mission given to me was to be the catalyst for many of these changes. I am genuinely confident that a new leadership team is now assembling, with the right sense of values and purpose, real focus, and a true grasp of the mission. It feels like we can go from here, slowly but surely, to a position of regained strength and prominence, rebuilding morale, wellbeing, and culture as we do so.
“When I returned to Nottingham, it was agreed that my role would be interim one and that it would be possible to review the lie of the land in early-to-mid 2023. The truth of the matter is that I’m not ready to leave, but I will be eligible for my NHS pension in less than 12 months and this mission of ours is a marathon not a sprint that will need fresh legs for some time to come.
“I have a lot more to give but in a slightly different way, in contributing experience from a lifetime’s work that has taken me to the NHS, the Public Health Laboratory Service, the Health Protection Agency, Public Health England, and the World Health Organisation; the pharmaceutical and vaccine industries; and of course deep exposure to central Government.
“Becoming Senior Strategy Adviser in Medicine for the University will allow me to continue my contribution here whilst constructing a portfolio-based career which takes in many of my current external interests and appointments.
“Being an academic at the University of Nottingham has been the backbone of my career for so long. It has been a privilege and a pleasure from Day One. The people I’ve worked with over the years have been truly fabulous as colleagues and friends. To this day, I’m so proud of being a Nottingham-trained healthcare professional. I now look forward to serving you and working alongside you in a different way in the future.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West thanked Jonathan for his service as Pro-Vice-Chancellor and looked forward to his new role, saying:
“I am deeply impressed with the work that Jonathan has delivered as interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor, not least for the School of Medicine, and I am delighted that the University is retaining his services in his new strategic advisory role. Jonathan’s positive impact on the Faculty for Medicine and Health Sciences has been immense and this new role will enable him to provide continuity for the leadership and reforms he has set down for the School of Medicine.
“Jonathan’s connections and influence in government, the National Health Service and the medicine and healthcare industries will continue to prove invaluable to the University’s significant and growing interests in these areas and I look forward to continuing to work with him closely.
“A global search will now commence to identify Jonathan’s substantive successor as Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and I am grateful to Professor Clive Roberts who will lead the Faculty in the meantime. The new advisory group chaired by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Jane Norman will support him and colleagues across the School of Medicine in continuing his reforms to improve leadership, culture, research and the student experience in Medicine.”
A specialist in influenza, including its epidemiology, transmission, vaccinology and pandemic preparedness, Professor Van-Tam was Professor of Health Protection in the Faculty’s School of Medicine prior to his government secondment as DCMO for England. He is also an alumnus of the University, graduating from the School of Medicine in 1987, continuing a tradition established by his father who studied Maths and Physics from 1964 to 1967. One of JVT’s children has also just graduated from the University in Nursing.
A familiar public face during the Covid-19 pandemic, he was one of four Deputy Chief Medical Officers (DCMO), where he was a key provider of independent advice to the Government on Covid-19, leading on health protection and regularly presenting at Downing Street press conferences. He received a knighthood for his services to public health.
As the DCMO for Health Protection, Professor Van-Tam has played important roles in a number of different incidents, including domestic outbreaks of MERS and Monkeypox, the 2017/18 influenza season and most notably the response to the Novichok attacks and the Covid-19 pandemic where he worked on the Vaccine Taskforce and supported the development of treatments.
The University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences consists of four Schools encompassing Medicine, Health Sciences, Life Sciences and Veterinary Medicine and Science. It educates more than 5,000 students and conducts world-leading translational, applied and clinical research with a focus on making a real-life impact to patients and the public.
Tags: Jonathan Van Tam, JVT, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam
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February 20th, 2023
The national industrial action by members of the University & College Union (UCU) affecting 150 universities has been paused for the next two weeks.
This means that strike action will not take place at the University of Nottingham on the previously confirmed dates of 21-23 and 27-28 February and 1-2 March.
In joint statements issued on Friday 17 February following ACAS-facilitated discussions, employer and union representatives announced they have agreed to proceed to time-limited negotiations aimed at agreeing a revised pay spine to address the pay compression that has developed over recent years, as well as contract types, workload, and pay gaps.
In parallel, the latest quarterly monitoring figures of the USS pension scheme continue to show an improvement in the scheme’s financial position since the last valuation.
In a further joint statement issued on Friday, Universities UK and UCU said this would allow for a return to a comparable level of future benefits as existed before the April 2022 changes, as well as achieve a reduction in costs for members and employers.
Industrial action proposed for the next two weeks has therefore been called off to provide a “period of calm” to allow for intensive negotiations aiming to secure a final agreement.
You can read the joint employer and union statements issued on the evening of Friday 17 February at:
Joint Statement – UCEA, UCU, Unison, Unite, GMB, EIS
Interim Joint Statement – UUK & UCU
Action short of a strike, where staff work to contract and do not undertake voluntary activity, continues and, depending on progress in these current negotiations, the strike dates proposed for later next month may yet take place.
The University will continue to keep staff and students informed with the latest news in this regard.
Tags: ASOS, Industrial Action, strike action, UCU, UUK
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