Broadcast: News items

Academic Update: March 2024

Posted on behalf of: Internal Communications

Last updated: Monday, 18 March 2024

Academic Update highlights the key priorities for academic colleagues and recent news and updates which you and your teams may find useful.

If there is information you would like included in future Academic Updates, please submit your request to the Internal Comms mailbox.

Quick links:

Education and Students

Financial support and guidance for students
The Hardship Fund and Welfare Loans for students will now be paid via a new system, Sussex Aspire. Students can continue accessing a range of financial support and guidance via the Student Hub.

Research and Enterprise 

REF (Research Excellence Framework) 2029 website is live
There is a new website for REF2029: https://www.ref.ac.uk/. All announcements on REF2029 made so far by the REF Team at Research England are captured, and it will be the home for guidance published in the run-up to the next REF.

Updated RQI webpages – improved Impact Support
Please take a look at the recently updated Research Information, Quality & Impact (RIQI) team webpages, which now include a refreshed Impact Support section.

Elements Impact Module is live
The Elements Impact module is live and can be used by academic and research colleagues to store their impact information and data.

We are now looking to increase usage across the University because, as well as a repository for any impact-related information, the module will serve as a source of data for future research assessments (such as REF2029) and an effective way to manage impact data for other purposes, such as internal reporting, promotions, external funder reporting and collaborations. This will allow more consistent reporting.

RIQI and the Elements team are running a small user group featuring academic and PS colleagues from across the University to test and refine the system and make sure it meets the needs of the community. The first meeting will be held later this month.

Sussex Summer of Research 2024
The Research Culture Team is delighted to announce Summer of Research 2024. The festival celebrating research and impact at Sussex, created by and for the research community, is back from 20 May to 21 June 2024. Look out for events to share research (within and beyond the University), build networks and collaboration, and learn new skills, led by colleagues from across our Schools and Divisions.

Get involved! The Research Culture and Research Impact Awards are now open for entries. Through the Awards, Sussex celebrates those leading and contributing to great research, impact and Knowledge Exchange through building a great culture, and recognises the commitment and contribution of colleagues who play vital roles in leading and supporting impact work. Please share the call with colleagues who you think should be commended - or think about entering yourself.

Horizon Europe Information Day 25 March 2024
We are inviting Sussex Researchers to be part of our Horizon Europe Information Day on 25 March in the Terrace Room at the Conference Centre in Bramber House. We will update on the current relationship of the UK with the EU and present the flagship Horizon Europe funding programmes, including discussing funding opportunities for researchers. Further information.

Worktribe update
This summer we will launch a modern cloud-based software system called Worktribe to support research staff and academics to collaborate on research processes. Worktribe will provide an integrated solution to manage the research pre-award process up to point of award, along with support for negotiation and agreement of research contracts and it will include a list of funders, a new risk assessment checklist, and a new contract assessment.

Testing will take place during March, with a view to going live in May: more information on go live dates will be available next month. In the meantime, you can find more information about the project on the Staff Hub.

Enterprise Education Programme Discovery Series
Designed around Lean Startup methodology, this series of six ‘hands-on’ workshops will introduce Sussex researchers to tools and techniques to help them figure out if a commercial route is for them. If so, it will help them with searching for market opportunities and applications, evaluating different options, and setting a focus to explore and test potential commercialisation models to understand their future value and impact. Workshops will start on 7 May and be held every two weeks to allow for additional 'out of the building' activity by participants. More information and booking details.

Building your values into your commercialisation journey with Dr Charlotte Rae
In the latest episode of the Sussex Founders podcast we speak to Dr Charlotte Rae about the importance of building your own values into your commercialisation journey right from the very beginning. Charlotte's research interests lie in the intersection of neuroscience and wellbeing at work. In 2022, Charlotte began a major national study investigating how the working pattern of a four-day working week can positively influence both wellbeing and workplace performance.

Increasing awareness of these benefits has continued to capture more interested companies, and the knowledge Charlotte gained from the study exposed an opportunity to provide a service to organisations interested in trialling and transitioning to new working patterns. You can learn more about Charlotte's research on the next Knowledge Hub session, which is taking place on Wednesday 27 March at 1pm.

Global and Civic Engagement

Volunteering as a School Governor
In February, we held a successful webinar on school governorship with the Governors for Schools charity - access the recording (Passcode: 89s%n#^.).

We would like to remind you of the University’s volunteering policy, which provides two additional days of leave for volunteering. Please do use MyView to book your leave. We are looking forward to sharing more examples of Sussex staff members’ valuable volunteering in the community.

About you

Stay safe on the move with travel safety e-learning
The Health and Safety Team have introduced a new Corporate Travel Risk eLearning course which gives advice on how to stay safe when travelling. The 30-minute training helps you consider the risks associated with travel to help you maintain your personal safety. It’s useful for all types of travel in the UK or abroad, whether you are travelling for a day to a meeting or conference, or for longer periods such as training or research off-campus.

If you travel on University business it’s strongly recommended that you complete this course. If you travel to hazardous or remote areas, you must also complete hazardous environment and remote areas training. To access either course, please email: healthsafety@sussex.ac.uk.

For staff that are travelling to higher risk locations further specialist training is available. Please visit ‘Travel, Field Trips and Field Work’ section on the Health and Safety training page for more information.

Members of staff or students must arrange travel insurance through the University for all business travel that involves either an overseas trip, or an overnight stay if in the UK.

Report and Support
As part of the University’s commitment to provide a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for our community, staff and students are encouraged to report hate incidents, harassment or discrimination, either directly experienced or witnessed, on the University’s Report and Support tool.

Leadership programme launches for current and future leaders
On 21 February we launched our Professional Services and Academic Leadership Programme at Sussex. Building leadership capacity and capability is vital, both to the experience of students and staff here and now, and to our future success. We have 40 current and future Sussex leaders from across the University undertaking the programme which will finish in June 2024.

For more information on development support for Sussex managers visit our leadership and management webpage. Further leadership and management online training is available on our online learning page which offers courses on LearnUpon and LinkedIn Learning.

About Sussex

Collection of tuition fee debt
The Finance team has been continuing with the regular cycle of collecting tuition fee debt from our students. Following our standard University process some students had access to IT and Library services withdrawn last week. This has now been reinstated temporarily to allow them to continue their studies whilst making arrangements to settle their outstanding balances. There will be a clear communication in advance of any withdrawal of these services should they not take action.

Staff involved in supporting and working with our students will receive a full briefing on the debt collection cycle before the Easter break. Staff are asked to avoid making contact with the Finance division on behalf of individual students as the student information is confidential and cannot be discussed with staff.

Latest updates on improvement projects in the Transforming Sussex newsletter
Our monthly Transforming Sussex newsletter highlights key updates from the projects that are improving our University. Covering the four portfolio areas - Better Campus, Better Education, Better Working, and Better Research - this issue focuses on the launch of a new carbon labelling initiative in the ACCA Café, the project to deliver a new website, and new bitesize training as part of our Cyber Security campaign, to name just a few. Stay informed and connected with the transformative initiatives shaping our University - sign up to receive the next issue of Transforming Sussex directly to your inbox.

A reminder

Help promote the National Student Survey 
Whatever your role, your support is crucial to the success of our campaign to engage students in the National Student Survey (NSS). Professional Services and academic staff across the University are helping to promote the NSS to eligible students and you can find a briefing document and folder of shared resources on Box to support activity in your area.

Open until 30 April, the NSS is an important way for final-year undergraduates to tell the world about Sussex. Thank you for your collaboration on this high-priority campaign. If you have any issues accessing the NSS resources please email: internalcomms@sussex.ac.uk.

Development workshops now bookable through LearnUpon
Staff development workshops run by Organisational Development are now bookable through our central learning management system, LearnUpon. This means that your staff development record will show your e-learning and your live learning all in one place. You can book onto workshops with ease and cancel your place if you need to. The booking process is very simple; read how to do it or watch our short video tutorial. Summer term workshops can be found in the Organisational Development events calendar and in the LearnUpon catalogue.