In Brief

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Pocket Book of Memories

What colour was your first bike? Can you remember your first love, your best holiday, your favourite pudding? Medical records go with patients but personal identity travels more slowly. This is a particular problem with the elderly and confused, in institutions and day-care centres, who interact with a changing variety of care staff. Memories establish personal uniqueness and can offer a point of contact for busy professional carers but are not easily unlocked.

Now, Linda Sheppard and Jennifer Rusted, experimental psychologists in BIOLS, have produced a pack which will enable carers to compile key words to cue memory, in a slim pocket book which is immediately accessible and which can accompany patients wherever they go. The cues stimulate memory and get a conversation going but are in a form in which privacy is still under the control of the patient. An example might be the name of the person's first pet hamster.

A small hint may trigger a great deal of memory, as with Proust. You don't need to carry all eight volumes of A la recherche, if a packet of madeleines will do.

A Pocket Book of Memories is published by Hawker Publications and will be launched at the 9th Alzheimer Europe Meeting on 30 June.

Teaching Awards 1999

William Locke of the Teaching and Learning Development Unit writes:

The University of Sussex Alumni Society (UoSS) has made awards to three members of faculty in recognition for their excellent teaching. This is the third year the scheme has run, and the Awards will be given at the Summer Graduation Ceremony on 13 July.

The recipients of the 1999 Awards are:

Angela Jacklin, USIE, for her support for trainee teachers in mathematics, the level of support she receives from students and colleagues in schools and her teamwork.

Brian Bates, Social Psychology in CCS, for his inspirational teaching which draws on research, his development of the research skills of students who go on to a variety of careers, and students' enthusiasm for his courses.

Mike Tribe, Environmental Sciences in CPES, for his student-centred approach, the priority he gives to innovation and particularly the use of educational technologies, and the very positive feedback from students.

After initial nominations - often by students Ð shortlisted nominees prepare a portfolio of evidence, which is carefully considered by the Awards Panel.

The Panel is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alasdair Smith, and consists of Dr Alun Anderson (Editor, New Scientist and Member of Council), Libby Lines (Alumni Society), Dr Tony Binns (AFRAS and Member of Senate), and Hannah Darvill (Education Officer, USSU).

The Awards Panel was also impressed by the achievements of the other shortlisted nominees:

Paul Myerscough (Media Studies in CCS), for his hard work and commitment to students' learning needs, and his curriculum development in the English and Media Studies degree programme. Brian Smith (Physics and Astronomy in CPES), for the breadth of his achievements, the strong links he has established with professionals outside the University, his work on the Management Studies minor, and his perseverance in putting students' personal skills development on the agenda.

The annual scheme aims to promote excellence in teaching and learning at the University, and is open to all those teaching University courses and for MPhil and DPhil supervision. Applicants for an award may be nominated by members of staff and/or students and alumni of the University, or be self-nominated. Nominations for the next round of Teaching Awards will be open in the Spring term 2000.

Angela Jackson

Brian Bates

Mike Tribe

European Union Fifth Framework Programme RTD

Below is a summary of expected deadlines for the latter half of 1999 for the EU Fifth Framework Programme (1999-2002) for RTD proposals (June deadlines now complete).

These deadlines are publicised in advance of the Calls for Proposals (although a few have already called): this is to take account of the Summer vacation, and to help with early planning and preparation of proposals.

Most of the remaining deadlines will fall in October 1999 and a few in September and December 1999 (dependent on research task). The main areas of research to be addressed are:

• Quality of Life: Biotechnology / biomedicine / food / health / agriculture / fisheries / neurosciences / genomes / bio-ethics / public health services / the disabled / socio- economic aspects (all October deadlines).

• Information Technology: Future & Emerging Technologies, Open Domain (September deadline); all other areas (December deadline)

• International co-operation: policy research for sustainable development / sustainable plant & animal production / environment & industry: problems of selected regions / improving health care / socio-economic modernisation / water policy and management (September deadlines)

• Energy: cleaner energy systems, energy efficiency (October 1999)

• Improving Human Potential: Marie Curie Training Sites Call launched on 11 June: Research groups apply to host young researchers working towards their Doctorates for short stays from 3 months to one academic year (deadline 13 October 1999).

The total budget for the Fifth Framework Programme is: 14.96 billion euros (about £11 billion). Funding is available for collaborative research between EU countries: for research networks, fellowship grants, conferences, workshops, basic & applied research, demonstration activities and feasibility studies.

Research proposals should address EU objectives such as: promoting the competitiveness of EU industry, improving the quality of life, and reducing unemployment.

The consortium must demonstrate complementarity of expertise and genuine trans-European collaborative research. For more information/advice/guidance about the Fifth Framework Programme, please contact: R.L.Dowsett@sussex.ac.uk. The Commission's Fifth Framework web page address is: www.cordis.lu/fp5. The UK Research Office web site is also very helpful: www.ukro.ac.uk