Workshops & Events

Looking to develop your research ideas into a business? Apply for the ARC Accelerator
Deadline: 10 December 2020, 5pm

The ARC Accelerator (formerly called the SUCCESS Programme) is a first-of-its-kind opportunity specifically designed to help social science academics and researchers to develop ideas based on their research into businesses or ventures to help people, society and the economy.

The programme is open to social science researchers employed at Sussex (students and alumni are not eligible). The ARC Accelerator is a six-month programme commencing on 18 January 2021, and successful applicants will benefit from:

• A half-day’s Business Canvas support session to explore and build out their idea (December 2020).
• A virtual training bootcamp spread over three weeks (1 day a week), led by industry experts, to develop key entrepreneurial skills.
• Specialised, sector specific training, access to experts who have been there before, investors and key networks.
• Dedicated mentorship support to help validate their idea, develop the business model, and support their pitch for funding or investment.
• The chance to pitch for up to £50,000 in prize money at the final showcase event in June 2021 (subject to funder conditions).

Profiles of participants and winners in the prior SUCCESS programme can be viewed here https://aspect.ac.uk/about/aspect-funded-projects/arc/

Applications can be made by completing the below downloadable application form and returning to Keith O’Brien, K.E.O-Brien@sussex.ac.uk or Andre Mostert, A.M.Mostert@sussex.ac.uk. Any enquiries can be sent to Keith or Andre.

Management Essentials programme launched for staff

To support the recently launched Manager's Toolkit, the Organisational Development team have designed a series of workshops as part of a Management Essentials programme.

The programme is made up of nine, 90 minute workshops with dates running throughout the academic year. The programme aims to equip you with the essential skills to become effective people managers as well as supporting personal growth and development.

Workshops available include Introduction to Management - Developing your Management skills, Leading and Managing Teams and an Introduction to Managing Change.

Dates are available now and details can be found on the Organisational Development pages.

Funding bodies confirm REF deadline of 31 March 2021

The four UK higher education funding bodies that run the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) have confirmed that the submission deadline of noon, 31 March 2021 remains in place, following review of current COVID effects on REF preparations. 

The funding bodies conducted a contingency review at the end of October, to consider the level of disruption related to COVID-19. The review looked at effects for both universities’ submission activity and the forthcoming period of assessment by the REF panels, and whether any further contingency measures are required for REF 2021.  

The review concluded there should be no further changes to the submission deadline, but that some further steps are needed to mitigate specific issues identified. These include challenges in preparing both hard copy outputs and income-in-kind data for return. The funding bodies have also identified a further set of issues that will be kept under close review in the lead up to the submission deadline and during the subsequent assessment phase.

Want to find out more about REF2021? You can now access an online recording of a presentation by REF Academic and Operational Manager, Dr Dominic Dean, to a group of Sussex ECRs on 28th of October.

Participant Call: Virtual Sandpits 2021

Deadline: 17.00 Wednesday 16 December 2020

The British Academy is inviting applications from researchers in the humanities and social sciences wishing to participate in international virtual sandpits in February 2021. The virtual sandpits will be framed around the themes of ‘Just Transitions’, ‘Global (Dis)Order’, and ‘What is a good city?’
 
Through these virtual sandpits the Academy wishes to engender new thinking, develop interdisciplinary collaborations, and further international engagement with a particular international policy and practice focus. 

Sandpits will be interactive and free-thinking experiences where a diverse range of participants and perspectives will be brought together to develop an immersive and intensive opportunity to develop collaborative thinking and construct innovative approaches to the themes.

Applicant Eligibility
For the purpose of this virtual sandpit, participants must be:

UKRI launches sector-wide forum to tackle bullying and harassment

A new forum started by the UK’s main public research funder will aim to stamp out bullying and harassment in the research sector. The Forum for Tackling Bullying and Harassment in Research and Innovation will bring together a wide range of organisations to raise awareness, share practices and bring about culture change, UK Research and Innovation said on 17 November.

UKRI chief executive Ottoline Leyser described the forum as “an important step toward realising our vision of fostering a safe and supportive environment for all”.

“Bullying and harassment are totally unacceptable in any context, and it is deeply concerning that they are so widespread in the research and innovation system,” she said.

“A major priority must be to stamp out bullying and harassment by supporting research organisations to develop effective policies and practices for addressing them when they occur and, crucially, for fostering research cultures that prevent their occurrence.”

*Article by Sophie Inge from Research Professional