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Applicants should hold a 2.1 at undergraduate level and a Merit at Master’s level in a relevant discipline, from a UK or other approved university and/or equivalent. You must submit a research proposal of approximately 1,500 words on your intended topic.

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Fury at Kent’s plan to cut academics’ time for research

Plans to introduce 20 per cent ‘baseline’ for research time will harm university’s standing in academia and beyond, warns critic.

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Proposals by the University of Kent to cut staff research time to a “baseline” of 20 per cent have been criticised as short-sighted, potentially self-harming and likely to damage the institution’s reputation.

Under plans to make significant savings, the university was due to consult on new academic workload models that, for many research-active staff, currently follow the 40:40:20 split often found in UK academia . In that approach teaching and research each account for 40 per cent of a lecturer’s working week, with the remaining 20 per cent allocated to administration and other duties.

Staff with significant research responsibilities would see their research time fall to a “baseline” of 20 per cent, although those who secure research funding would be able to obtain a higher percentage.

Strategies for areas of higher priority research are also being considered, although the new framework would aim to mostly standardise the differing research time allocations found across the institution, Times Higher Education understands.

One member of staff in Kent’s law school told THE that the proposals would cause huge harm to the department’s academic standing.

“This law school finished second in the last Research Excellence Framework , [and] the history department [was first]– it’s inconceivable that we could achieve the same result again if these changes happen,” the law faculty member said.

Last month, Kent announced that it was seeking to “phase out” courses in modern languages, philosophy and other areas as it responded to a “number of financial challenges including the fixed tuition fee, rising costs and changes in student behaviour”. Up to 58 academic posts could be at risk of redundancy , according to the University and College Union, in the latest cutbacks made in recent years by the under-pressure institution, which is yet to post its latest financial accounts.

A Kent spokeswoman said “delivering world-leading and impactful research is central to what we do at Kent”, and “current proposals help us ensure that [research] time allocation for staff across the institution is consistent, fair and transparent, while recognising the need to encourage and support staff to continue this vital work”.

“The proposals – which were developed with an academic advisory group and on which we are continuing to engage with staff and seek feedback on – suggest an affordable base level for research time across the institution,” they added, stating that the plans “also reflect our desire to balance this with time for teaching so that we can do more to meet the needs of our students in the future. This is in line with our incoming strategy, which is built around embedding a more student-focused approach.”

Plans to change workload models have been presented in terms of institutional savings, but the law school lecturer told THE that these calculations did not consider the longer-term quality-related (QR) research funding likely to be lost .

Research staff were also much more likely to leave, they continued. “Many research-active staff have been headhunted in the past but have said ‘no’, but will they want to stay? And will students want to come to us if we lose our research reputation?”

The changes were also likely to affect women more heavily than men, the lecturer claimed. “Men don’t have the same caring responsibilities on average as women and don’t take on the same pastoral responsibilities – with much less research time, will women be able to keep on doing research?”

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Bettering Communities One Initiative at a Time

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The University Research Council recently selected winners of the Bettering Communities Pilot Grants, a prestigious award aimed at fostering initiatives that advance research while benefiting local communities.  

This year, two projects were chosen. The recipients are teams of researchers from Kent State University determined to make significant contributions to their communities.

One of the winning projects, "Democratizing Design: Creating a Third Place With/For North Hill’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community," is led by a team of Kent State researchers: Francisco L. Torres, Ph.D., assistant professor in Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies; Astrid N. Sambolin Morales, Ph.D., assistant professor of cultural foundations of education in the School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration; Kristen Mimms Scavnicky, assistant professor of architecture; and Tina Patel, assistant professor of interior design.

The team also works with other partners/researchers such as Reverend Joy E. Fenton-Jones, co-director of First Serve Service Day led by the First Congregational Church of Hudson ; Justin Chenault, director of North Hill Community Development Corporation and Sue Wimer, director of First Serve.  

“This represents an opportunity for an intersection of the faith community working in a healthy way with academics. We can be a partner and be challenged to think differently and do things differently in the community,” Fenton-Jones said.  

This team seeks to co-create and study the impact of a “third place,” a communal space fostering individual and diverse discourses and practices in the North Hill community.  

“This project is focused on designing a space for the community with the community. My hope is that the design makes it possible that even if Kent State researchers aren't there, it'll be a vibrant space for those who live and work within that community,” Torres said.

By engaging local community members, the project aims to establish a multicultural hub to promote joy, diversity and community engagement.

“I think that's really what brings me here. It’s this idea that it's not just academia or the ‘ivory tower’ doing this work. We are leaving something behind that's meaningful for a community that needs it,” Torres said.  

Torres’s reference to the ivory tower expresses the importance of being aware and taking tangible action to support issues that ordinary people are facing every day.  

“Creating a space where people can build relationships, expand those networks and do things that feel joyful and meaningful to them is so important,” Sambolin Morales said. “I hope that's another impact from this project.”

The other winning project, "Creating an Augmented Reality Digital Health Hub to Improve HIV/AIDS Resource Support for LGBTQ+ Individuals Within and Around Akron, Ohio," is equally innovative.

This initiative aims to develop and assess the effectiveness of a Health Hub using augmented reality technology.

The team is led by Deric Kenne, Ph.D., professor of health policy and management; Robert Clements, associate professor of biological sciences; Enrico Gandolfi, associate professor in teaching, learning and curriculum studies; and Janet Reed, Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing.

“I have been working with and learning from Rob and Janet for years,” Gandolfi said. “Recently I had the opportunity to be introduced to Kenne and Kim, who do amazing work. This is such a great interdisciplinary team.”

The project will enhance awareness and utilization of community resources among individuals at risk or diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, with a focus on LGBTQ+ individuals.

Kenne said there often are underutilized resources in communities or absent resources. With this project, the team can increase awareness of existing resources and identify resources that are needed.

“Due to the stigma among those with HIV/AIDS, and lack of access/awareness of community resources, we wanted to harness the technology developed by Enrico and Rob to improve the health of this at-risk population by providing them with an interesting, engaging way to be more aware of the community resources available for them,” Reed said.

Both projects address pressing issues with innovative approaches, these initiatives promise to make meaningful and lasting impacts on their communities.

Learn more about the University Research Council.

Banner Photo: Akron AIDS Collaborative (partner of "Creating an Augmented Reality Digital Health Hub to Improve HIV/AIDS Resource Support for LGBTQ+ Individuals Within and Around Akron, Ohio.") 

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Prolific Partners in Research

For 20 years, the Proposal Development Unit has helped NC State colleges and faculty secure more than $1 billion in research funding.

As home to two major interdisciplinary National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Centers, the NSF Science and Technology Center, the NSF AI Research Institute, the Department of Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute (PowerAmerica) and several other high-profile programs and centers, NC State has established itself as one of the premier research institutions of the world. Working behind the scenes to bring these initiatives and many others to fruition is the Proposal Development Unit (PDU) . 

As part of the Office of Research and Innovation ’s commitment to developing faculty and facilitating team science, the PDU provides free pre-award support for NC State faculty developing large-scale proposals (those requesting more than $1 million) for interdisciplinary research. Services include writing, editing and strategy consulting, budgeting, as well as training for faculty submitting proposals for grant-funded projects. 

This year, the PDU is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Since its inception in 2004, the PDU has worked with faculty and colleges across the university to secure more than $1 billion in funds for interdisciplinary research. In the beginning, the PDU had three full time employees and helped faculty with about six to eight proposals per year. The team now consists of 11 full time employees who assisted with over 80 proposals in 2023.

“It feels like we’re ramping up the number of proposals we work on, and the vastness of them is definitely growing,” said project assistant Jessica Brown. “You see big announcements from the university about large grants being secured from these proposals, but the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes is just unreal. Our staff have expertise in the types of grants available, and they know what needs to be done to get them. The faculty who work with us are so appreciative as well.”

While proposal development is a relatively new career field, NC State was among the first universities in the nation to launch a PDU and has already established a strong reputation.

“Our proposal developers and proposal specialists have been asked to serve as mentors to other professionals elsewhere throughout the country, so I think people in our field know us and know about our successes,” said Pradip Pramanik, executive director for the PDU. “In the past three or four years, members of our staff have been asked to serve as reviewers by federal agencies, so we are becoming more visible on the national scale as well.”

Ironically, while the PDU is making inroads with peers across the nation, many NC State faculty members are still unaware of the services the department provides.

“Twenty years have gone by, and still there are so many faculty who tell me they didn’t know about the PDU,” Pramanik said. “Others have told me they wished they knew about it when they applied for a grant two years ago and didn’t get it. I always hate to hear that because it’s a lost opportunity — not just for them, but for NC State.”

Meet the Team

Molly Puente is assistant director for the PDU and oversees proposals in agriculture as well as health and life sciences. Her team has helped NC State faculty secure a number of major grants through the NSF, National Institutes for Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and others. 

“We have touched so many different colleges and different types of proposals,” Puente said. “We started with a lot of projects from the Department of Education’s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need program, but over time we’ve kind of built up our strategic research and training programs support, and we’ve really gotten to know the federal agencies who oversee them. We’ve been able to develop and expand our expertise and serve as the place where faculty can go if they have questions about funding agencies’ backing for their research.”

One of the biggest programs under Puente’s purview is the USDA Sustainable Agricultural Systems, which has been crucial to NC State’s work in that field. Five years ago, proposal developer Michelle Frick worked with professor Chris Reberg-Horton and his team to pursue a Sustainable Agricultural Systems project on cover crops.

“It’s had a national impact, and the connections and collaborations that have come out of that program through our work with the agricultural communities here at NC State helped lay the groundwork for the Plant Sciences Initiative and other programs on campus,” Puente said. “It’s really great when our teams receive an award, but to be able to see it continue to grow five and 10 years later is the best part.”

Fellow assistant director Matthew Hooker oversees engineering and physical sciences proposals. He and his team often work with the College of Engineering, as well as faculty in the College of Sciences, College of Natural Resources and College of Education. During the past few years, his team has been successful in securing two NSF Research Traineeship program awards, aimed at training graduate students at NC State. 

“One thing I always think about when helping to write these proposals is the impact they could have on graduate students,” Hooker said. “Grad students really benefit from the funding that is coming in for research because they get to work with faculty who are doing some pretty amazing things.”

Hooker also co-organizes a workshop each spring to help early-career faculty prepare proposals for NSF’s CAREER Program . This program offers support for new faculty seeking to build strong foundations of research and education in their respective fields. A collaboration between the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Sciences and the College of Engineering, the workshop covers key aspects of proposal development and ultimately helps faculty submit competitive proposals. There are currently more than 50 faculty using CAREER grants to support their research.

“The point of this workshop is to walk them through some of the ins and outs of writing a proposal, help them figure out what the NSF is looking for and so on,” Hooker said. “It’s been well received, and the number of people who sign up has grown every year. It really indicates how much the university is growing and bringing in new faculty who are passionate about their work.”

Puente offers a similar service to faculty applying for NIH grants. She hosts a summer writing workshop for early career faculty members to familiarize them with grants from the NIH, such as the newer Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA).

“It’s been really rewarding to see several of the folks who’ve come to the workshop apply for one of these grants and be successful,” Puente said. “These workshops are really great for early stage faculty to get a better understanding of how the proposal process works and how to write it not just from a scientific point of view, but to include some of the things the NIH is looking for and using the correct terminology.”

Last year, PDU webinars and workshops reached 312 attendees. This included three recurring webinar series — PDU@Lunch, NIH@NC State and DOD@NC State. 

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

As the PDU celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, its staff members are reflecting on the past two decades and its many achievements. Looking toward the future of the PDU, Puente wants to focus on building strong relationships with a broader variety of agencies and even international funding sources.

“We’ll continue developing our strengths and learning about more agencies, and we also want to continue building bridges to other units across the university as well,” Puente said. “I see the future being very multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, and that involves being able to work with departments across the colleges and helping faculty talk to people outside of their normal sphere of who they work with.”

Pramanik, meanwhile, foresees a need for more PDU staff to help meet the rising demand for research funding at the university.

“We are still a small team right now, and we are all about quality over quantity when it comes to our work,” Pramanik said. “As we look to the future, we want to be more strategic about what we do in terms of aligning the work of the PDU with university priorities. I have been personally working with faculty, center directors, academies, initiatives and associate deans for research with the colleges to understand their research priorities, to determine who the stars and rising stars are in terms of faculty, and then connecting that back with our goals and mission and those of the Office of Research and Innovation.”

Learn more about the PDU and its 20th anniversary by subscribing to its quarterly newsletter , which includes articles from PDU staff about proposal development, the funding landscape and funding opportunities of interest as well as information about upcoming events. Faculty can also access the PDU intranet page , which contains even more resources like global collaborations, early career resources and agency-specific resources for the Department of Defense, NSF, NIH, USDA and DOE.

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UNLV International Gaming Institute Announces Inaugural ESPN Research Fellows

University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute (IGI) is excited to announce the recipients of the 2024 ESPN Research Fellowships. This year's selection showcases a diverse group of scholars whose innovative project proposals will be pivotal in advancing knowledge on responsible gambling messaging in sports media.

Fellowships have been awarded to:

Dr. Hannah Borenstein Harper-Schmidt Postdoctoral Fellow and Collegiate Assistant Teaching Professor at The University of Chicago; Mr. Chance Dow Master’s student at the University of Memphis’ Tennessee Institute of Gambling Education and Research Dr. Eric R. Louderback Research and Evaluation Scientist in the Division on Addiction at Harvard Medical School Dr. Brian Petrotta Assistant Professor of Sport Media and Communication at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Dr. Travis Bell, Associate Professor of Digital and Sports Media at the University of South Florida.

Each of the Fellowship proposals address unique facets of responsible gambling messaging in sports media. As the intersection between sports and gambling continues to evolve, the work of these scholars is essential in promoting healthy gambling practices and awareness.

These projects will provide insights into practical strategies that policy-makers and the industry can adopt to help safeguard the wellbeing of sports enthusiasts and the public at large.

Dr. Borenstein will explore the relatively untapped domain of track and field and marathon running. Borenstein’s investigation focuses on the implications of integrating gambling into mainstream broadcasting and spectating of these sports.

Mr. Dow will investigate the nuances of gendered gambling and responsible gambling. Dow’s study examines how to enhance the effectiveness of responsible gambling messages, particularly among college student populations.

Dr. Louderback will analyze video-based sports gambling advertisements on social media. Louderback’s research looks at how responsible gambling messages influence advertisement effectiveness and demonstrates the use of publicly available social media data in advancing knowledge in responsible gambling.

Dr. Petrotta and Dr. Bell will analyze actual gambling broadcasts during March Madness competitions. The study explores how responsible gambling messages are conveyed and will provide crucial insights into real-world practices during live sports broadcasts.

“IGI is tremendously excited about these projects. A key goal of this initiative is to support innovative and impactful research to better understand the rapidly changing global sports and betting environment.'' said Dr. Brett Abarbanel, Executive Director of IGI. “This research represents a broad range of perspectives on how gambling is represented in sports media and holds important implications for all gambling stakeholders.”

“ESPN is proud to work with IGI to advance responsible gaming standards through this comprehensive research,” said Kevin Martinez, Vice President of ESPN Corporate Citizenship. “These diverse research projects will help to inform how the industry can continue to respond to and improve upon responsible gaming practices in the sports entertainment ecosystem.”

Each research Fellowship lasts for a duration of six (6) months. The results of the research will be featured in an IGI webinar in early 2025. 

To learn more about the IGI, please visit https://www.unlv.edu/igi .

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Updated research guidelines for use of AI at the University of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April, 17, 2024) —  Guidelines and recommendations for the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in research have been updated for the University of Kentucky campus.  

The transdisciplinary UK ADVANCE (Advancing Data utilization for Value in Academics for National and Campus-wide Excellence) team exists to define and develop recommendations for responsible use of generative AI at UK. The team provides ongoing guidance to the campus community to achieve the university’s mission of advancing Kentucky through education, research, service and care.

Earlier this semester, the team updated the  faculty guidelines  regarding generative AI in instructional settings. The UK ADVANCE team also created  guidelines for use of generative AI in clinical settings . 

The team’s latest recommendations for AI in research can be found  here.  If you have any questions about the latest updates, please review the  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Members of the campus community are encouraged to provide feedback on the updated guidelines by sending an email to  [email protected].

The guidelines and recommendations will continue to evolve. The ADVANCE Team is committed to keeping the campus community informed of any changes as their work continues. 

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.   

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OpenFest 2024 - Call for Proposals

Interested in improving academic research and exploring open research practices?

Open research plays a key role in democratising knowledge and creating a productive, collaborative and responsible research culture. Sheffield’s OpenFest, co-delivered by the universities of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam, provides an opportunity to explore issues around open research, share experiences and consider how open research can be applied in your discipline. You can find details of our 2023 OpenFest here .

This year’s OpenFest will take place in the week beginning 9th September 2024 - our calls for proposals are below.

Calls for Proposals

Openfest online symposium, towards an open research culture: establishing, embedding and facilitating the culture/s and practice/s of open research, wednesday 11 september 2024, online .

To what extent, and in what ways, is the future of research culture open? What practices are and will be central in establishing and embedding a culture of research openness? What factors impede efforts to achieve an open research culture, and how best can researchers and other professionals address these? Our online symposium aims to create space for colleagues across the UK and internationally to explore these and related ideas.

Proposals are invited from all researchers and research-related professionals for 20-minute presentations or 5-minute lightning talks . Topics might include, but are not restricted to:

• Vision(s) of the future of academic research and/or publishing; what an open, collaborative research culture could and should look like. 
• The relationship between research evaluation, measurement of open research practices, and the development of an open research culture.
• One open research culture, or many? The manifestations of open research in different disciplinary and methodological contexts.
• Mapping the relationship between specific open practices and reforms in research culture.
• Charting the intersections between (open) research culture and research integrity.
• The potential of open practices and culture/s to initiate and inform responses to global challenges.
• AI- and ML-informed research methodologies and their implications for open research.
• Capitalism and publishing; potential revolutions and reforms; open research, labour and prestige.
• Current and potential future relationships between open research and the broader culture of higher education, including approaches to teaching.
• Epistemic culture/s of open research.
• The Devil’s Advocate - arguments against open research and open research practices

We welcome proposals from PGR and MRes students as well as more experienced researchers. Please use this webform to submit your proposal by 26th May 2024.

Open Research @ Sheffield

Our two Open Research @ Sheffield days (in-person with hybrid capability) will bring together researchers from the universities of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam to explore current practice, share ideas, and build connections.

Tuesday 10 September 2024, in-person (University of Sheffield) with hybrid capability

Proposals are invited from University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University researchers and research-related professionals for 20-minute presentations, panel discussions, or 5-minute lightning talks that explore current practice and/or areas of development or potential in open research at the Universities of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam. Topics might include, but are not restricted to:

• Experiences and perspectives on specific initiatives in open research, e.g. preregistration, preprints, electronic lab books, open peer review, open access publishing, OA monographs, open educational resources, co-production.
• Showcasing a network, collaboration or initiative focusing on or involving opening up research.
• Exploration and evaluation of a current or recent project, the open research issues / barriers involved, and the impact of the strategies selected.
• Collaborations made possible by the openness of research publications, data or software.
• Challenges in the adoption of open research practices and potential ways to address these.

We welcome proposals from PGR and MRes students as well as more experienced researchers and professionals - please use this webform to submit your proposal by 26th May 2024 .

Thursday 12 September 2024, in-person (Sheffield Hallam University)

Workshops at Sheffield Hallam University

We invite University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University researchers and research-related professionals to submit proposals for an in-person workshop on any area related to the field of open research.  

We especially welcome workshops which deal with challenging, emerging areas related to the topic of open research culture, which is the theme of the online symposium. We encourage proposals for highly interactive and collaborative workshops which foster lively discussion, to open up new ideas and gather feedback.

Your proposal should provide brief information on the working title, subject matter, format, and learning outcomes of the session. Workshops will last for 90 minutes, and will take place in a room with space for up to 30 participants. The sessions will not be recorded, but materials will be made available after the event.

Please indicate in your submission form any equipment or resources - such as pens, markers, paper, note blocks - you will need for your session. Drinking water will be available to organisers and participants during the workshop.

The event as a whole will run from 10am-2pm, with a break for lunch. Workshops will be held on the city campus of Sheffield Hallam University.

The University's cross-faculty research centres harness our interdisciplinary expertise to solve the world's most pressing challenges.