Call for proposals, Marie Curie Fellowships in Sweden

Marie Curie Fellowships in Sweden, FAS Incoming International Postdoc fellowships (FIIP)

• COFAS 2 is FAS’ International postdoc fellowship programme.
• Deadline for submission of applications is 29 May 2013 at 17:00 CET.
• FAS supports research in the areas of working life, public health and welfare.
• The purpose of funding International Incoming postdocs is to give qualified researchers opportunity for knowledge and competence exchange with the Swedish research society.
• Applicants can apply for up to 24 consecutive months at the host institution. Applicants who find it difficult to spend longer periods of time abroad, e.g. for family reasons, may divide the time with work at the institution in their country of origin.

The grants include

• Living, mobility and travel allowance, incl. 35% overhead with 950 000 SEK per year (approx. 94 500 EUR for living, 13 500 EUR for mobility and 2500 EUR for travel)
• Family allowance 50 000 SEK for each dependent per year (approx. 5,500 EUR/year for each dependent)
• Research cost contribution, which amounts to 50 000 SEK per year (approx. 5500 EUR/year)
• Career Grant 5000 SEK (approx. 550 EUR) per seminar, for participation in Career Coaching seminars arranged by FAS

News in the COFAS 2 programme

• Introducing family allowance This change provide better conditions for researchers to go abroad and bring their family on their postdoc period. COFAS 2 is introducing a substantial Family allowance, by offering 50 000 SEK (approx. 5500 euro) per dependent per year.
• Wider Career window. Applicants with a PhD exam obtained during the last 5 years (childcare and military services subtracted), or applicants being in the last stages of their PhD preparation, but that will have their PhD at the time of recruitment (contract signature), are eligible to receive fellowships in the COFAS 2 programme
• Repatriation period. Now financed by FAS to secure contract extension due to national regulations for parental leave
• Work part-time. Fellows with child-care responsibilities can apply to work part-time during the fellowship or divide their fellowships in several stays, with the maximum time not exceeding 36 months (not including the repatriation)

More information and applications: http://www.fas.se/en/COFAS-2/

Intellectual Property Awareness Resource

UMIP – the University’s agent for intellectual property (IP) commercialisation would like to make you aware of its IP Awareness Resource, co-developed with Eversheds LLP.

The resource is targeted at academics and research staff and its aim is to increase the awareness of IP and demonstrate the benefits of its commercialisation to the University and the IP generator.

You will find a series of video clips by professionals and academic colleagues on various aspects of IP and its commercialisation. We hope that this resource gives you a valuable insight into the types of IP which can be used to protect novel ideas/inventions and how, for example, IP can be commercialised via spin-out or licence with the help of UMIP.

Also featured is information on IP & Confidentiality and Academic Materials with links to various forms, process guides and booklets which you may find useful.

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/ipresource

 

Public engagement survey

The University recently won an important RCUK grant to build partnerships with local schools. As part of the grant, we would like to have a snapshot of public engagement activity with schools that already takes place within the University. This particular project focuses on bringing young people together with researchers and research, so we are particularly interested in finding out about engagement which has involved:

• communicating current research to young people (under 18)
• engaging young people with the research process or research techniques

If you have undertaken any outreach/public engagement activity with schools over the past two years, we would be very grateful if you tell us about it via this very short online survey (it should take no more than a few minutes to complete):

https://apps.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/surveys//TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=m4LJ6681>

If you have any questions about this survey or how the data gathered from it will be used, please contact Dr Kate Ash (kate.ash@manchester.ac.uk).

Your training needs in 2013/ 2014?

Dear All,

We are in the process of planning the new training programme for 2013/2014. Since our approach is to design sessions that directly respond to the needs of the research staff, I would really appreciate it if you could spare a few moments to send me your researcher development priorities. In other word, what headings would you like to see in next year’s programme (and why)?

For more effective training, your input is essential at this stage, and we will try – as much as possible – to take all suggestions on board. Please add your comments below.

Thank you.

Kind regards,

Mariam

Vitae Researcher Development International Conference 2013

 

4 September 2013 – 5 September 2013

Peter Street, Manchester

Event overview

The established annual Vitae Researcher Development International Conference is the largest dedicated event that brings together all those with a strategic and practical role in developing researchers.

Conference themes

The conference will address the strategic and practical implications of the following themes:

- Policy developments relating to the doctoral education and employing researchers
- Building institutional capacity for researchers’ professional development to maintain research excellence
- Demonstrating the value of researcher development on research outputs, researcher careers, economic prosperity and society
- Sustainable practice to support researcher skills, professional and career development 

Workshop themes

Workshops will address the conference themes, and in particular will cover:

- Embedding training and development in the research environment
- The impact of researcher development and researcher careers
- Implications of policy developments for higher education institutions
- Developing the ‘global researcher’
- Key transitions between academia and industry/other sectors, including employability and work experience and internships
- Developing researchers for knowledge exchange, enterprise, public engagement and research in policy making
- Developing researchers for leadership, multidisciplinary and collaborative working
- Developing a supply of research talent, including widening participation and attractiveness of research degrees
- Equality and diversity issues for research careers

Call for proposals for conference workshops

Once again, Vitae will be inviting colleagues to submit a proposal for a workshop or special interest session. Please visit the call for programme content page for further details.

The 2013 conference will include:

- The launch of the UK aggregate analysis of the Careers in Research Online Survey, being run by over 50 institutions
- The launch of the UK aggregate analysis of the Principal Investigators and Research Leaders Survey, being run by over 40 institutions
- Outcomes from the RCUK review of Review of Revised Funding Arrangements for Researcher Development and their Operation
- Updates on the European Commission’s feasibility study on a certification mechanism for good HR management of researchers linked to the European Charter and Code

Participants at the conference will:

- explore the political context for researcher development
- discuss strategic and practical ways of sustaining professional and career development for research staff and postgraduate researchers
- access to the latest policy, information and research related to this field
- share ideas and practice with a network of colleagues with a stake in developing the researchers.

A full conference outline will be available shortly.

For more details, please check the conference website.

CROS message from Professor Lambon Ralph

Date: 22 April, 2013
From: Professor Matt Lambon Ralph, Associate Vice President for Research

Dear Research Staff member

I’m writing to you personally to ask you to participate in a national survey of the experience of research staff at the University: The Careers in Research Online Survey (CROS). Your responses are vital in helping us understand what we are doing well and what we can do better to improve the working conditions, career aspirations and career development opportunities for research staff at the University.
The survey is an online questionnaire and should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. Your time on this task will be a very useful and an important investment. Data will be used by the University’s Researcher Development Group to continue our work to improve University-wide procedures and practices that better support our research staff. Past survey data have been very useful and have already shaped our current policies. For example, in response to CROS 2011 results, the University:

• Has launched the Research Staff Handbook to complement the induction process for new research staff and provide a reminder of key information for existing staff.
• Now has qualified coaches in each Faculty Training Team, providing one-to-one coaching services for research staff focusing on career management issues.
• Has launched a Research Staff Association (http://www.rsa.manchester.ac.uk) and introduced Research Staff Ambassadors across the Faculties.
• Is currently piloting a new Research Staff Development Online Tool (ResDot) to enhance support for identifying training needs and reviewing performance against your professional and career development goals.
• In conjunction with the Research Staff Association are launching a pilot scheme for prolonging access to email accounts and e-resources beyond the termination of research employment contracts – the first such scheme in the UK.

To complete the survey please go to: https://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/manchester/2013cros

CROS is only available to you from Monday 22nd April until Friday 31st May 2013, so please take this valuable opportunity to have your say about the quality of your experience as a researcher at the University. The results will make a difference in the future but only if you complete the survey!

If you require more information or help with CROS please contact: Mark Leech (Mark.j.Leech@manchester.ac.uk) or your Faculty Researcher Development/Training Teams.

Many thanks
Professor Matt Lambon Ralph

Creating an impact – Workshop

Dear All,

This is to remind you of the follwoing workshop:

Creating an impact in your research career

By Dr Jamie McDonald from Skyward Coaching
Wednesday 15 May 2013, 09:30 – 12:30, Simon 4.38-4.60

Workshop Overview
Those who fund and assess research and universities are increasingly interested in impact, requiring that those seeking funding demonstrate the impact of their work in their field, and also in the community, the economy and/or the environment. Likewise, anyone looking to lead a career, whether in research or elsewhere, would be well placed to be able to identify and articulate their desired road ahead as well as defining steps to take to get there. Through a series of activities, reflection and discussion, this workshop addresses these issues directly.

Specifically, we’ll:
• Look at the impact agenda
• Work on your personal sense of the impact you want to create
• Identifying important attitudes and qualities to start moving in that direction
• Consider how to identify and engage the stakeholders that are relevant to their impact
• Find actions that will contribute
• Note the implications of this work for motivation, effectiveness and commitment

To book, please click here