Research institute for Life Course Studies

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Research institute for Life Course Studies
Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Members Forum
• Developing Research and Enterprise Activities
  across the RI
• Wednesday January 11th, 2006
• 10.00-1.30
• and
• Postgraduate Forum
• 12.30-3.00

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Research institute for Life Course Studies
Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Statement of Intent
• The Institute aims to support and stimulate high
  quality research and enterprise by bringing
  together a multidisciplinary group of researchers
  working on a range of health and social concerns
  across the life course, from childhood through to
  old age. It draws on existing strengths at Keele
  in the fields of ageing (with one of the largest
  groups of researchers working in the field of
  gerontology in the UK), children and families,
  and psychology.
•  
• While existing groups have distinctive research
  agendas, the Institute will build and expand upon
  these areas, encourage inter-disciplinary work
  within and beyond the Institute, and foster new
  collaborations. Members will be supported to
  pursue research of international distinction, to
  maintain strong relationships with user groups,
  to seek funding from research councils and
  comparable bodies, and to engage in the
  organisation of seminars and conferences for
  staff and students. The Institute will have a
  managerial, co-ordinating and advisory role,
  developing an infrastructure for research,
  stimulating grant applications, managing research
  time, and providing a supportive training
  environment for postgraduate research students
  (supported by the University Graduate School).
•  

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Research institute for Life Course Studies
Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Who are we?
• One of 7 Research Institutes across the
  University.
• 49 academic members 6 applications pending.
• 45 PGR students.
• Drawn from 9 Schools and all 3 Faculties.

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Research Institute for Life Course StudiesHow
are we organised?
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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Advisory Board
• Mim Bernard RI Director (0.5) and Chair
• Marianne Knight RI Manager (f.t.)
• Alexander Lamont PG Director (0.2)
• Jane Boylan Soc/SWk research interests
• Rebecca Leach Soc/SWk research interests
• Anand Pandyan Ageing research interests
• Tom Scharf Ageing research interests
• Sue Sherman Psychology research interests
• John Wearden Psychology research interests
• Peter Crome NHS link
• Claire Martlew HR link
• Diane Roberts PGR link
• RI Administrator (0.5) to be appointed

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Postgraduate Committee
• Alexander Lamont Director of Postgraduate
  Research Chair
• Mim Bernard Director
• Marianne Knight RI Manager
• PG Link Tutors
• Maggie Bailey SHAR
• Mim Bernard Sociology Social Work
• Sian Maslin-Prothero Nursing Midwifery
• Ken Rotenberg Psychology
• Student Representatives
• Adam Bourne Psychology
• Diane Roberts Sociology Social Work
• Jackie Winter SHAR
• TBA Nursing Midwifery
• PGR Administrator (0.5) to be appointed

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Research institute for Life Course Studies
Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Progress to Date
• The RI Board has been formed and has met on 3
  occasions.
• The PG Committee has been formed and has met
  once.
• Roger Beech (CHPM) has been selected as Chair of
  the Faculty Research
• Ethics Committee.
• Our two representatives on the Faculty Research
  Ethics Committee are
• Bernadette Bartlam (PG Medicine)
• Nicky Edelstyn (Psychology)
• RAE planning is underway. Further work is
  planned from February
• 2006 when the final Criteria and Working
  Methods documentation is
• available.

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Research institute for Life Course Studies
Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Progress to Date (contd)
• Grant proposals
• Since July, members have made over 20 grant
  applications bidding for over 2.5m in
• funding. 8 have been successful and have
  brought in circa 300k 10 applications
• are still pending a decision.
• Seminars/Workshops
• Regular lunchtime/afternoon series (eg.
  Psychology CSG).
• October 21st day seminar (organiserRebecca
  Leach)
• 'Doing Family display, consumption and
  material culture.
• November 3rd day seminar (organiser David
  Pandyan)
• Applications of Exercise in Rehabilitation.
  
• November 23rd ESRC workshop.
• Newsletter 3 issues to date comments/items
  welcome.
• Web pages to be updated/expanded.

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Research in Progress
• Reducing the unscheduled use of acute hospital
  beds by older people
  Roger Beech et al.,
  funded by Cheshire County Council.
• Stroke related research projects
  
  
  Peter Crome, Sue Hunter, David
  Pandyan, Christine Roffe, et al., funded from
  various sources e.g. Stroke Association, British
  Geriatrics Society, North Staffs R D
  Consortium.
• Interpersonal attachment and social
  identification
  
  Claire Farrow et al., funded by the
  ESRC.
• Boomers and Beyond, Intergenerational Consumption
  and the Mature Imagination.
• Rebecca Leach et al., funded by ESRC/AHRC
  Cultures of Consumption Programme.
• Developing Interprofessional Working Amongst
  Health and Social Care Staff
  Sian
  Maslin-Prothero et al., funded by the Burdett
  Trust for Nursing.
• Developing Measures of Pensioner Poverty in the
  UK.
• Tom Scharf et al., for Help the Aged.

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Research Enterprise opportunities
• AHRC A potential Stages of Life programme (5
  yrs).
• Aims to explore the way in which the
  different stages of life are experienced,
  conceptualised and represented, from conception
  to death. Indicative themes include
  intergenerationality age-related norms
  expectations age, creativity, material culture
  the changing significance of the
  family/household care responsibility
  representation and self-representation. Clearly
  possibilities for collaboration with Humanities
  RI.
• ESRC The New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) programme
  - future phases.
• Major new multidisciplinary research programme
  jointly funded by the ESRC, EPSRC, BBSRC and MRC.
  Aims to explore the changing meanings and
  experiences of ageing and the key factors shaping
  them, and develop practical policy guidance and
  novel solutions to science and technology
  challenges.

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Research Enterprise opportunities (contd)
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) in which
  RI staff may apply their expertise to a project
  that is central to the development of their
  Company Partner. Existing partnerships exist
  between Universities and Primary Care Trusts
  voluntary organisations hospitals etc.
• Department of Health eg. The Policy Research
  Programme. This research portfolio covers healthy
  living and social well being, disease prevention,
  the role of the environment in health, social
  care for adults and children, the organisation of
  the NHS, and strategies for treating particular
  diseases or conditions. Commissioning is done via
  open competitive tender.
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation Parenting Research
  Programme
• In 2006, 165,000 has been allocated for
  either a single research project or two or three
  smaller proposals on Understanding fathering
  masculinity, diversity and change. Closing date
  2 pm on 6 March 2006.
• All suggestions about other opportunities are
  welcomed

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Any questions?

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Developing Research Enterprise Activities
  across the RI
• Step 1 (In small groups 5 minutes each person)
• Introduce yourselves.
• What are you currently working on?
• What are your research interests?
• What MRes/PhD students do you have/doing what?
•  
• Group Question (20 minutes - need one person to
  v. briefly feedback)
• If you were to work together as a group, what
  kind of research or
• enterprise activity might you develop?
• (eg. a research project a seminar network a
  studentship proposal work with
• practitioners etc).

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Developing Research Enterprise Activities
  across the RI
• Step 2  (list on flipchart 15 minutes)
• What kinds of things might you need more
  help/information with to
• support your groups proposed research/enterprise
  activity?
• Eg. information about
• Whats involved in doctoral supervision - the new
  code of practice co-supervising mentoring etc
• Funding bodies - research councils charities
  matched funding etc
•  
• Funding opportunities - small grants newly
  qualified PhDs grants studentships post doc
  fellowships, large grants programme grants
  travel/equipment grants etc.

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Developing Research Enterprise Activities
  across the RI
• Step 3
• Given the discussions so far, what 3 words/brief
  phrases sum up your
• own research? (5 minutes). 
• These could relate to
• content/themes
• to methods
• to people.
•  
• Each member to write your name and your 3 words
  on 3 separate post-it notes
• Whole group will then share.

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Next Steps

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• What would we like to do?
• Increase membership.
• Increase research grant applications / success
  rates / grant income.
• Develop enterprise initiatives.
• Increase PGR numbers.
• Develop externally-funded studentships.
• Develop initiatives between research groups.
• Develop cross-RI initiatives.

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• What needs to be done?
• Agree a budget.
• Develop a strategic plan.
• Plan staff sabbaticals/research leave.
• Improve the infrastructure and support for PGR
  students.
• Expand the website and consider publicity.
• Continue and refine the planning for the RAE.
• Work with members to prepare research and
  publication plans.
• Develop further support for grant applications.
• Make staff appointments.
• Prepare for launch of Institutes in Sept/Oct
  2006.

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Research Institute for Life Course Studies

• Contacts
• Marianne Knight (RI Manager)
• email m.knight_at_humss.keele.ac.uk
• phone 4589
• Mim Bernard (RI Director)
• email m.bernard_at_appsoc.keele.ac.uk
• phone 4067
• Alex Lamont (PGR Director)
• email a.m.lamont_at_psy.keele.ac.uk
• phone 3323