Campus News
Tackling the energy challenge
December 16th, 2022
Heating costs are rising rapidly for everyone. The university is committed to ensuring staff and students have warm spaces to work and study over the winter. However, we need to be sustainable and efficient in how we do this, and we can all play a part in that.
The university’s energy costs are projected to increase from around £18 m in 2021/22, to almost £25m in the current financial year 2022/23. If we continue to see the high market prices, they could be as high as £46m the year after that.
The more the university spends on energy, the less it has available to support its teaching and research. Every £1 saved on energy is £1 we can direct towards our core business and to helping support staff and students.
We have made clear commitments to reducing our overall carbon emissions (find out more in our Carbon Management Plan), but we also want to reduce the amount we spend on gas and electricity.
We must take urgent action to reduce energy consumption in university buildings – not just this winter but beyond, and we need your help to do that.
Short-term steps
The university’s senior leadership team has agreed a focus on:
- Ensuring we do not overheat spaces in our buildings
- Turning heating off in spaces that are not in use
- Providing advice and guidance on how you can make a difference
- Working with our key energy consumers
Long-term plans
As well as taking urgent steps to reduce our energy consumption this winter, we also need to reduce gas and electricity use over the longer term. The university has previously adopted Science Based Targets for carbon reduction, committing itself to reduce its energy-related carbon emissions to absolute zero by 2050.
Estates & Facilities are already working with high energy users across the university on several vital initiatives, including:
- Developing a programme of thermal efficiency improvements across the university estate.
- Reducing our dependency on gas by moving towards renewable heating, for example we have recently installed an air source heat pump system in the DRSV swimming pool.
- Making more efficient use of our existing spaces.
- Identifying under-utilised buildings where heating and services could be turned down, or off altogether.
How you can help
We need your help to meet our target of reducing our energy consumption and associated carbon emissions by 10% this financial year. All staff and students have a responsibility to act sustainably, reduce carbon emissions and help global efforts to minimise the effects of climate change. The best way to do this is to reduce the amount of resources we use.
When it comes to saving energy, please help us by:
- Switching off lights and electrical appliances fully when not needed, especially overnight and when the university is closed over Christmas. Follow our checklist to switch off your area before the holidays.
- Avoiding the use of portable electric heating devices – if your space feels cool contact the Estates helpdesk.
- Keeping doors and windows closed when the heating is on and ensuring windows are closed at the end of the day.
- Encouraging your department to get involved with the Sustainability Champions network and LEAF within labs.
- Identifying additional steps that your department or institution could take to reduce its energy use. The Sustainability Team can provide advice on how you can go about this.
- Reporting any faults in university-managed buildings that are leading to excessive use or waste of energy to the Estates helpdesk.
We will be issuing further advice over the coming months but in the meantime, take a look at what else you can do and how you can save energy at home.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Tags: carbon reduction, energy, energy challenge, saving energy
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Improving local healthcare with strengthened partnership
December 16th, 2022
The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust have strengthened their partnership with a new agreement that will improve healthcare practices and outcomes for people living in the city and county.
The strengthened partnership will explore opportunities for collaboration in relation to education and training, research and innovation, estates and infrastructure, people and shared civic responsibilities.
Over the next five years the university and NUH will find new and improved ways to attract, train and retain high quality healthcare students and recruit and support highly qualified healthcare professionals who can shape the future of services in their field.
There will also be an increased focus on research and innovation opportunities, with the aim of enhancing the process of getting life-changing research from lab to hospital.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Shearer West and NUH CEO Anthony May signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to the shared aims of the partnership. Commenting on the new agreement Professor West said: “A huge amount of hard work has already been delivered to get us to where we are today, and this new agreement will take the excellent working relationships between the university and the Trust to the next level.
We now have a long-term plan to work ever more closely together to bring even bigger healthcare benefits to the communities we serve.”
Under the new agreement the university and NUH will also work together to provide a range of improvements for students including: new spaces for study, welfare and teaching, improved systems and processes for managing placements and monitoring the healthcare needs of NUH and aligning student training with these.
Anthony May, Chief Executive of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We are incredibly proud of our University Hospital status and our close working relationship with the University of Nottingham.
This agreement will further strengthen that partnership and we are all committed to making it work for the benefit of our patients, our staff and the people of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.”
The two organisations have worked together to drive innovation in experimental science through the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre since 2017, which has recently begun a new five-year programme of translational research.
This will be built upon further with a focus on improving the processes for undertaking joint research and increasing opportunities to access research solutions to address unmet clinical needs and opportunities for commercialisation in healthcare and healthcare technology.
Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Tim Guyler, Assistant Chief Executive at NUH will lead the implementation of the partnership.
Professor Van-Tam said: “I am delighted that the university and NHS Trust have united in this way to accelerate and deepen our partnerships to improve healthcare and outcomes for the people of Nottingham.
This will underpin our joint interests in recruiting and retaining the best healthcare professionals for the city’s medical facilities and ensure that the city’s patients can benefit from the latest research innovations in medicine and clinical practice.”
Tags: Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, NUH, NUH NHS Trust
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Season’s greetings and welcome to my final research update of 2022
December 15th, 2022
Research update from Professor Neil Crout
I would like to share highlights from the year and look ahead to 2023 as we will build on progress, with a focus on the support available to our research community.
I also wish to acknowledge the support and dedication of everyone contributing to research at the University of Nottingham.
REF and KEF: congratulations and thank you Our results from the 2021 Research Excellence Framework – published in May – reaffirmed Nottingham as one of the country’s leading research institutions. We maintained our overall research power while improving our GPA position, in particular making a notable improvement in outputs assessment.
I am grateful to colleagues who made our submission possible and helped deliver our very good set of results. Meanwhile, the latest Knowledge Exchange Framework confirmed us as one of England’s leading universities for working collaboratively with industry and the public sector. Our partnerships with industry roll out our innovations and help secure sustainable, skilled economies. We are in the top 10% of universities working with business and 8th in the country for research with industry.
Delivering our renewed research strategy In 2022 we renewed our research strategy until 2027, underpinning our commitment to addressing strategic and global challenges while planning for the unexpected. The aim is to support our researchers to undertake the highest quality of work.
Strengthening support for academics Changes in Research and Innovation are designed to strengthen support to academics and allow us to be more agile – anticipating funding opportunities and focused in response to the societal challenges at home and abroad.
Researcher development The Researcher Academy leads an exceptional programme of training and development, at all stages including our research leadership programmes.
You don’t need to take my word for it, BBSRC highlighted our focus on wellbeing in the 2022 Postgraduate Research Student (PGR) induction programme as best practice. The training and development programme for 2023 will continue to focus on inclusivity, with all researchers able to access courses/programmes ranging from fundamentals to data skills, peer mentoring and engaging with policymakers.
Leadership programmes for post-docs, early career researchers and research leaders are also available.
I would like to join Professor Lucy Donaldson, APVC for the Researcher Academy, in acknowledging the tremendous and tireless support given to PGRs by supervisors and many others in schools, faculties and the Researcher Academy.
All this activity in support of research could not be delivered without the dedication and goodwill of thousands of colleagues across our university. Thank you.
I wish you, your loved ones and family a restful winter break. Read Professor Crout’s full update
With very best wishes,
Professor Neil Crout
Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange
Tags: Professor Neil Crout, research, research update
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A new mailroom service has been introduced for students and staff
December 13th, 2022
The Estates and Facilities mail room have introduced a new service to save you from going out to a post office. The service will allow you to send letters, parcels and packages from our mail room.
All you need to do is purchase the required service via the Online Store and take your parcel to either the mail room at King’s Meadow Campus or the student post room at Derby Hall. Don’t forget to bring the code generated during your purchase.
For more information, visit our mailroom webpage.
Tags: mail, Mailroom service
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Want to learn Mandarin?
December 13th, 2022
Whether you’re looking to experience a new culture or boost your CV, there are plenty of reasons to learn a language.
The Nottingham Confucius Institute offers Mandarin courses led by experienced teachers. Sign up and open new vistas in business, education, travel or simply meeting new people.
This term’s courses commence on Monday 23 January.
There are evening and weekend classes as well as private lessons, in person and online.
Please note, you have until 12pm on Thursday 19 January to register. If you’re interested, we recommend registering as soon as possible – an early bird discount will be available until Friday 6 January.
For more information, visit the Nottingham Confucius Institute webpage.
Tags: language, learn mandarin, Mandarin
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Corrected Article: Opening hours over the winter break
December 13th, 2022
Services on campus may close or have reduced opening hours over the winter break.
The Autumn term finishes on Friday 16 December and the Spring term starts on Monday 16 January. During this time the university will close on Friday 23 December and reopen on Tuesday 3 January.
More information on university closure dates can be found on the key dates webpage.
Facilities on campus will experience reduced opening hours during this time and may close for some of this period. Continue reading for a helpful list of adjusted opening hours for key services on campus.
Catering outlets
Catering outlets may have adjusted opening hours over the winter break, or close completely.
Find out more on the catering website.
Libraries
24/7 opening hours will pause between Friday 16 December and Monday 16 January.
All library buildings will be closed from 23 – 27 December and 31 December – 2 January, with the below three libraries open 9am-5pm on 28-30 December:
- George Green, University Park
- James Cameron-Gifford, Sutton Bonington
- Djanogly Learning Resource Centre, Jubilee Campus
Find out more about our libraries
Sport facilities
Our on-campus sports centres will have varied opening hours over the winter break:
- David Ross Sports Village, closed 24-26 December and 1 January with varied opening hours between these dates
- Jubilee Sports Centre, closes 23 December and reopens on 3 January
- Sutton Bonington Sports Centre, closed 24 December and reopens on 2 January
Tags: Christmas opening times, opening hours, opening times, Winter
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Section of A52 Derby Road to close in new year
December 13th, 2022
From Monday 9 January 2023 to Friday 31 March 2023, the westbound carriageway of the A52 Derby Road will be closed from the QMC roundabout junction as Cadent Gas carry out important upgrades to their gas network.
Severe congestion and delays are expected and diversions around University Boulevard will be in place from 9 January.
People are encouraged to plan ahead and use alternate routes where possible while the works take place.
The area around University Park (specifically North entrance) will mainly be impacted, but traffic around Jubilee and Kings Meadow Campuses are also expected to be affected.
The university is currently investigating ways to ease the impact of the works and will communicate final plans in the coming weeks.
Alternative routes to the university are also encouraged during this time, and the university has a number of initiatives to help out, including:
Public transport
The university in collaboration with a number of public transport operators across the city offer a number of travel pass schemes. They offer staff the opportunity to purchase travel passes through salary deductions – there are a range of these available to support differing work patterns, many at discounted rates.
Cycle to Work
Cycling to work offers a flexible, fit and sustainable way to travel between our campuses and elsewhere. The university offers a comprehensive Cycle to Work scheme accessible through the Employee Hub and has increased the value of the scheme to enable staff to purchase bicycles up to the value of £2,000.
Please check back on Campus News for latest updates.
Tags: A52, Derby Road, north entrance, roadworks, traffic, travel, Travel to campus
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University is third in the world for sustainability
December 12th, 2022
The University of Nottingham has been ranked third in the world in a list of the most sustainable universities – retaining its top three position for a third consecutive year.
The UI Green Metric, produced by the Universitas Indonesia, is the only university ranking in the world that measures each participating university’s commitment in developing an ‘environmentally friendly’ infrastructure. The rankings look at six indicators: setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, transportation, and education.
More than 900 universities from 84 countries take part in the rankings every year and, since first taking part in 2010, Nottingham has consistently been placed in the top four.
Sustainability is at the heart of the university’s core goals and vision. Several initiatives are paving the way to ensure a greener future for Nottingham, from actively working on solutions to reduce demand for energy – particularly in building stock – and generating more of its own power, through to changing travel policies to reduce unnecessary travel and encourage lower carbon journeys to offset the environmental impact.
Global collaboration is also at the forefront of the university’s drive for carbon neutrality, and it is currently working with the Ministry of Transport in Indonesia to develop infrastructure for electric vehicles and SMEs who are working to adapt conventional vehicles for electric propulsion. A new net zero translation centre in West Java will upskill industries to support the transition of Indonesia’s most populous province towards a net zero economy – with an initial target of renewables meeting 20% of the energy needs of 50 million people by 2025.
Closer to home, the university’s pledges filter down to day-to-day activity, such as providing refill points across campus to reduce the need for bottled water, partnering with Too Good to Go – an app that helps businesses sell surplus food, reducing waste – and introducing carbon labelling on some menus to educate staff and students of the CO2 impact of their food choices.
It also recently committed to becoming a nature positive university, aiming to plant more than 800 trees and hedges this month to increase biodiversity and habitats while simultaneously removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
Professor Shearer West said: “I am delighted at this recognition for the work of our colleagues in research, teaching and professional services who are committed to creating a more sustainable university and a zero-carbon planet. At the University of Nottingham, we are doing our utmost to make a difference and sustainability informs every aspect of life and work on our campuses.
“We are delivering zero carbon technologies, building partnerships with industry to scale up and drive transformational change, putting sustainability at the heart of all university operations, and inspiring our graduates to act as globally minded citizens and change-makers. The university has set ambitious, science-based carbon reduction targets: by 2030 to reduce our emissions by 63%, with an aspiration of net zero by 2040 and absolute zero by 2050.
“Our emerging zero carbon research and innovation cluster will create a regional hub, where we will work with our partners in industry to turn discoveries made in the lab or workshop into innovative, sustainable products and services. We will scale up the delivery of these to homes, business, and society. This cluster will support change, generate regional economic benefit, and place the UK at the forefront of sustainable innovation.
“Times Higher Education’s analysis of REF 2021 places us 7th in the UK for our research power, which takes into account the sustainability, quality, international impact and critical mass of our research. The greatest challenge of our time remains simply enormous; however, we are determined to make our contribution and to work with our partners to meet this challenge head-on.”
More information on University of Nottingham Sustainability can be found here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sustainability/index.aspx
Tags: REF, sustainability, UI Green Metric, UI GreenMetric World University Ranking
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University teams are finalists in MRC Impact Prize
December 8th, 2022
Two outstanding teams from the University of Nottingham and their collaborators have been announced as finalists in the inaugural Medical Research Council (MRC) Impact Prize.
The prize recognises individuals or teams who have made outstanding contributions in medical research.
Finalists in the Open Science Impact category for “Making COVID-19 response data FAIR” are Director of Health Informatics Dr Philip Quinlan and his partners Professor of Health Data Science Emily Jefferson of the University of Dundee, Professor Aziz Sheikh, Director of the Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, and Dr Susan Hopkins, Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, UK Health Security Agency.
The University of Nottingham’s Digital Research Service, led by Dr Quinlan, played a leading role in CO-CONNECT, a £4m research project to help scientists across the UK access the data they need more easily to help develop potential therapies and treatment for Covid-19.
Experts from the universities of Nottingham, Dundee and Edinburgh, along with Public Health England and a national consortium of 20 research organisations, ensured data collected in response to the Covid-19 pandemic was findable, accessible, interoperable or reusable (FAIR).
For Outstanding Team Impact, Nottingham’s finalists are recognised for “Next generation imaging of human brain function”. Professor of Physics Matt Brookes and colleagues based in the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, together with partners at US atomic devices company QuSpin Inc and University of Nottingham spinout Cerca Magnetics Limited, have developed the world’s first “wearable” brain scanner.
The magnetoencephalography (MEG) system, which employs quantum technology to measure the minute magnetic fields generated by assemblies of neurons in the brain, promises unprecedented insights into conditions and diseases such epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia and autism and has been commercialised through Cerca Magnetics.
With Professor Brookes, the team compromises, from Nottingham:
Professors of Physics Richard Bowtell and Mark Fromhold, Postdoctoral Fellows Dr Ryan Hill and Dr Niall Holmes, PhD students Molly Rea, Natalie Rhodes and Peter Hobson, Business Engagement Manager Dominic Sims.
QuSpin’s Chief Scientist Dr Vishal Shah and Chief Executive Officer Shweta Choudhury.
Cerca Magnetics Limited’s Chief Technology Officer Dr Elena Boto (also University of Nottingham), Chief Executive Officer David Woolger, Director of Operations Eliot Dawson, Head of Engineering Christopher Mariani.
Professor Brookes, of the School of Physics and Astronomy, and Dr Quinlan, of the School of Medicine, both said they were delighted and honoured to be shortlisted in their respective categories of Outstanding Team Impact and Open Science Impact in the inaugural Medical Research Council Impact Prize.
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- Director of Health Informatics Dr Philip Quinlan
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- Professor of Physics Matt Brookes
The MRC Impact Prize winners will be announced at an award ceremony in 2023.
Professor Neil Crout, Interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, said: “I am thrilled that colleagues from the University of Nottingham and our partners have been short-listed in such prestigious awards, which recognise the power of innovation and collaboration in delivering impact that leads to healthier lives.
“As well as making outstanding contributions in the areas of brain imaging and Covid data, it is worth noting that Nottingham made a truly significant contribution to the University of Oxford-led RECOVERY Trial, another finalist in the Outstanding Team Impact category.
“This was the world’s largest study of Covid-19 therapies and involved more than 48,000 participants, including patients from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, supported by our researchers and clinicians.”
Tags: Dr Philip Quinlan, Medical Research Council (MRC), MRC
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Seasonal festivities and discounts for staff at Lakeside this Christmas
December 8th, 2022
Lakeside welcomes all to our spaces for Christmas this year, with delicious treats, amazing exhibitions and a splash-tastic Christmas show, there’s something for everyone this festive season.
There’s lots going on, including:
Christmas show: The Singing Mermaid
Friday 9 – Saturday 31 December 2022
This Christmas join the singing mermaid, who is tempted away to join a travelling circus, with the promise of a life of excitement (and her own swimming pool!). The audiences love her singing but she soon finds out she’s been tricked by the dastardly circus master. Will she ever escape? And who will help her along the way?
Book your tickets and find out more at www.lakesidearts.org.uk/SingingMermaid.
Discounts for staff
University staff can get 10% off full-price tickets. Just call up our box office on 0115 846 7777, let them know you are a staff member, and sign up using your university email.
Christmas Lunch at Lakeside
Lakeside’s Café Pavilion will be serving Christmas Lunch Christmas Lunch Monday to Friday 12pm until 1.30pm. To book a table, please call 0115 846 7179.
Two courses start from £12.50 and three courses from £16.50.
Free Exhibitions
Over the festive period, come and keep warm in our gallery spaces, with four amazing exhibitions on display, including:
Sophie Ryder: Sculpture, Drawings, Prints
Saturday 19 November – Sunday 12 March, Various Times
Djanogly Gallery Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm & Sunday 12noon-4pm
Admission free
Family-Friendly
British artist, Sophie Ryder, is renowned for her large-scale open-air sculptures of animals and mystical hybrid creatures. Among her cast of characters, the Ladyhare features often, either alone or paired with her male counterpart, the Minotaur. Best known for her works in twisted wire, the artist also sculpts in bronze, plaster, and marble.
Her solo exhibition filling all three spaces of the Djanogly Gallery offers a more intimate glimpse into Ryder’s studio practice including a selection of smaller-scale sculptures and maquettes, alongside drawings and prints of her favoured subjects. The installation Temple to the 200 Rabbits – guaranteed to be a sure-fire success with our youngest visitors – commands a gallery of its own.
Jellyfish underwater exhibition in our Wallner Gallery
Open Mon-Fri 8am-4pm & Sat/Sun 10am-4pm
This magical light-up exhibition was created by the pupils of 8 local schools, using recycled materials to create an underwater seascape! Walk under the jellyfish and things might just sparkle!
Admission Free
Knowledge is Power: Class, Community and Adult Education
Thursday 27 October – Sunday 12 March, Various Times
Weston Gallery, Manuscripts & Special Collections
Tuesday-Sunday, 12noon-4pm.
Closed Mondays. Admission free
The University of Nottingham was a pioneer in providing education for working-class adults. In 1922, the University College appointed a professor of adult education – the first in the world. Two years earlier, it set up a department of adult education – the first in Britain.
Over the next 70 years, it worked with unions, employers, local councils and voluntary organisations, offering courses in workplaces and communities across the East Midlands. Many of its students and staff were leading figures in the labour movement locally and nationally.
Drawing on the records of the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA), University College Nottingham, the papers of Ken Coates and many others, this exhibition showcases how adult education enriches the lives and culture of ordinary – and extraordinary – people, and helps build a fairer and more democratic society.
Gallery shop
Our gallery boasts a gorgeous shop full of artisan and unique goodies for Christmas presents (why not get your shopping done on campus!). From handmade ceramic bowls, to dainty bone jewellery, right through to wooden toys and popup models.
Open 10am-4pm Tues-Sat, 12noon-4pm Sun.
Tags: Christmas at Lakeside, discounts for staff, Lakeside, Lakeside offers
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