The 2008 Research Student Symposium is to be held on November 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th. This provides an opportunity for all first and second year PhD students to make a poster (1^st years) or oral (2^nd years) presentation of their work. More details will appear here as the programme is developed. The Symposium also provides an opportunity to celebrate excellence, with the award of Best PhD Thesis and Best Student Paper prizes. Details of both prizes are available here. Nominations for the Best Student Paper Prize are required now, and need to be submitted strictly by 20^th October – allowing time for the award committee to reach a decision before the Symposium. The Best PhD Thesis Prize for 2008 has already been awarded jointly to Birte Glimm and Paolo Missier, who will be presented with their awards at the Symposium. You will recall that Paolo’s thesis went on to success in the prestigious BCS/CPHC Distinguished Dissertation (DD) competition, continuing a tradition established over recent years by School members William Bainbridge (2000), Rhodri Davies (2003), Stephen Marsland (2003) and Gavin Brown (2004). The School’s process for awarding the Best PhD Thesis Prize is synchronised with the timetable for the DD competition, with nominations for the 2009 award required by 23^rd February 2009 – so please start thinking about possible nominees.

Network Problems

Many thanks to all those who put in a great deal of effort last week to help identify and fix the ‘network’ problems we experienced during the first week of teaching. I am particularly aware of the contributions of Mike Keely, Tony Curran, John Latham, Graham Gough and Roger Hubbold, but I’m sure others have helped too. So far there is no magic bullet, but a number of contributory factors have been identified, and solutions implemented – leading to what seems a significant improvement in performance. It is clear, however, that we are not yet out of the woods. Further ‘fixes’ are planned, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely, with a view to targeted investment in new infrastructure should the level of performance still prove unacceptable.

Faculty Meeting – Questions Please

This is to remind you about the Faculty Open Meeting taking place this Wednesday. The Dean is keen to receive at least one question from each School, but so far there are none from CS. Please consider submitting a question to Lynn by the end of Monday and, in any case, attending the meeting.

Jeans for Genes

The Jeans for Genes event last week raised £567.66. Many, many thanks to all of you who donated – another fine example of the School’s generosity in contributing to charitable causes.

1st Semester UG and PGT Exams

This a call for all first semester undergraduate and postgraduate taught examination papers, with a deadline of Monday 20^th October. If you are teaching a course this semester which has assesment by examination, you need to set the paper now. If you are not sure what to do, consult the Exam guidelines or get in touch with Jennie in Student Support. In summary, by the deadline you need to have:

· handed in your exam questions

· handed in you marking scheme

· named your moderator

Everything should go to Jennie or Mike in Student Support (LF21). In preparing your exam please check the rubric (number of answers, sections, answer books, open book etc) carefully against published information, and let Jennie know if the exam is to be on-line. The exam period will be 19^th– 30^th January 2009.

Events this Week top

UMIP Seminar on Consulting 13 Oct 08

The University of Manchester Intellectual Property Ltd (UMIP) would like to invite you to its free seminar on ‘Consulting’ during the morning of Monday 13 October. The seminar will consist of presentations made by a number of experienced individuals from academia and industry who will share their experiences of consulting. More Information & Registration

1000-1300 (Regiatration & coffee 0930), CTF, 46 Grafton Street

Faculty Meeting 15 Oct 08

The meeting will follow a similar structure to the last one in April in that the first half of the meeting will be used to provide an update on the Faculty's current performance and the second half will be an open question and answer session. The Dean will open the meeting with an overview of the Faculty's financial position, focussed on the five year forecasts, and this will be followed by a brief update from each of the Associate Deans on the key priorities within their areas. Faculty would like at least one question from each School so please send questions for the Dean to Fiona Campbell please.

1500, Room E7, Renold Building

Regular Seminar Series

See links in contents bar for information on seminar series organised by the School of CS, E-Science North West and National Centre for Text Mining.

Future School Events top

CS Open Staff Meeting 22 Oct 08

There will be an Open Staff Meeting for all CS staff on Wednesday, 22nd October at 3.30 p.m. in IT407. It is expected that the meeting will last between 60 to 90 minutes during which Norman Paton will outline broad plans and it will also provide an opportunity for interaction.

Wear it Pink 31 Oct 08

We will once again be supporting the Breast Cancer Campaign by holding a Wear it Pink Day. We will run a tombola and need prizes. If you have any bottles (wine, beer etc), chocolates or new items you are willing to donate then please bring them to ACSO. All donations gratefully received.

School Research Student Symposium New 3-5 Nov 08

Compulsory event for all PhD students, with strong encouragement to all staff to attend. Programme includes poster presentations by 1st years, oral presentations by 2^nd years and presentation of Best Thesis and Best Paper prizes. More information.

Children in Need 14 Nov 08

We will once again be running our annual Children in Need Booksale and online auction. Further details will be sent round in due course. Books and auction items gratefully received in ACSO.

School Board Dates

26 November - UG Report
4 February - PG Report
25 March - External Affairs Report
6 May - Research Report
1 July - Resources Report

All meetings take place 1530-1700 in IT 407.

Future External Events top

Support for Academically-Led Conferences Various

One-stop solution from STARS. The Division of Sport, Trading and Residential Services (‘STARS’) offers a one-stop solution for academics interested in attracting and organising conferences here at The University of Manchester, a service directly supporting the University's 2015 goal of achieving high international standing.

More Information

BBSRC Road Shows "Enabling the Delivery of Excellence with Impact"

London - 20^th October 2008

Manchester- 28^th October 2008

Tea and coffee will be available at 14:00 pm with presentations due to commence from 14:30 pm. The meeting will finish at approximately 17:30pm. To be kept up to date with plans, and to register your interest in attending an event, if you have not already done so, please send your name, institution and contact details, together with your preferred venue to roadshows@bbsrc.ac.uk as soon as possible (nominal deadline has passed).

More Information

Advanced Tools & Technologies for Collaborative Research 6 Nov 08

Speakers will include Dr David Fergusson, Deputy Director, Training, Outreach and Education, the National e-Science Centre and researchers at Manchester who are working on projects to develop and demonstrate collaboration tools. These include myExperiment, a collaborative environment where scientists publish and share their workflows. A detailed programme of the event is published below.

More Information & registration

Funding Opportunities top

RAEng - Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowships 14 Nov 08

These Fellowships provide an opportunity for mid-career academics based in UK universities to be relieved of their administrative and teaching responsibilities, for between one academic term and a year, in order to concentrate on full-time research in any engineering discipline. The award provides a grant to cover the cost of a replacement member of staff for the period of the Fellowship to carry out the teaching and administrative responsibilities of the researcher. A support fund of up to £2,500 is also available as part of the Fellowship.
More Information

RAEng Research Student Development Fellowships 1 Dec 08

These fellowships are worth £10,000 each and are intended to add value to PhD and EngD students by funding training and development activities which complement their research oriented education. The scheme is open to all research students who are entering their second year in the academic term beginning September/October 2008. Deadline for applications: 1st December 2008. For more information visit: More Information

EPSRC Follow on Fund Competition New 5 Dec 08

"Follow-on-funds" provide financial support for projects with a clear commercial concept to accelerate their progress towards commercialisation. Funding is available for up to 12 months for typically over £100k based on research from ongoing or completed EPSRC supported projects. An approximate total of £1.5M is available nationally with £4.5M of applications invited for consideration.
Proposals need to be submitted via the University’s technology transfer company (UMIP). The University has been successful in 8 out of 11 proposals submitted during the past three years which has generated nearly £1 million of research income. Grantholders interested in applying for this funding should complete the attached two-page form and send it to ian.proctor@umip.com before Friday December 5th 2008 (4pm).

More Information

Industrial Secondment Scheme Open

The Industrial Secondment Scheme provides an invaluable opportunity for engineering teaching staff in Higher Education institutions to gain state-of-the-art industrial experience. Applicable to engineers of all disciplines, the scheme's objective is to enable the secondees to impart the fruits of this experience to their students through teaching, through case studies using up-to-date material and, in the longer term, through course design. The benefits also accrue to the host organization which gains a temporary but highly qualified member of staff, and to the university which has the opportunity of strengthening its links with industry.

More Information

UoM Knowledge Transfer Challenge Open

The KT Challenge offers small grants for concept studies and feasibility studies. If you are interested in developing ideas in collaboration with an industrial partner – developing new technology, or applying existing technology in an industrial setting – please contact Constantinos Astreos.

EPSRC Encouraging Postdoctoral Mobility Between Disciplines Open

EPSRC would like to encourage the transfer of outputs of research between different research disciplines as well as aiding the career development of EPSRC funded PDRAs. In the first instance an extra year of support will be offered. Transfers between the engineering and physical science disciplines and the life sciences are encouraged. There are no closing dates for proposals.

More Information

EPSRC ICT Platform Grants Open

EPSRC invites outline proposals for its information and communication technology platform grants. Platform grants aim to provide world-leading UK groups with continuity of funding for strategic development, longer-term research and international networking.

More Information

Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chairs Open

Full-time professorial appointments, in any engineering-related subject. The academy particularly welcomes proposals of a multidisciplinary nature. Funding is provided for 5 years.

More Information

RAEng Industrial Secondment Scheme Open

An opportunity for university lecturers in engineering to gain state-of-the-art industrial experience.

More Information

BBSRC International Scientific Interchange Scheme (ISIS) Open

To help scientists make and establish new contacts with their international counterparts.

More Information

RAEng Global Research Awards Open

Projects in centres of excellence overseas focussing on stimulating wealth creation and improvements in the quality of life.

More Information

EPSRC Engineering Visits Open

Support for salary costs and travel subsistence for scientists and engineers of acknowledged standing, either from within the UK or abroad, to visit the investigator's organisation.

More Information

Prize and Award Opportunities top

We have acknowledged the need to raise the profile of the School both nationally and internationally. Nominating individuals for awards, and working actively with others to ensure that deserving individuals are nominated is one way of doing that.

None currently open

Research Awards top

Relating to the Semantic Biochemical Journal Project

Funding Body: Portland Press Ltd
PI: Terri Attwood
Award Amount: £115069

Phase 3 Developments of PubMed Central Project

Funding Body: Wellcome Trust
PI: Sophia Ananiadou
Award Amount: £331056

Advanced Processor Technologies Platform Grant

Funding Body: EPSRC
PI: Steve Furber
Award Amount: £1361385

Staff News top

Awards and Promotions

None this week

Academic Arrivals

None this week

Academic Departures

None this week

Research Arrivals

None this week

Research & Technical Departures

None this week

Administrative Arrivals

None this week

Administrative Departures

None this week

Sabbatical Leave

Alasdair Rawsthorne: 80% secondment to Transitive Technologies
Oct 07 – Sep 08. - continuing

John Keane: Academic Year 2008/09

Len Freeman: April to Sept 2009

John Gurd: Academic Year 2009/10

Liping Zhao: Sept 2008 to Mid Jan 09, and Mid July 09 to mid Jan 10

Josh Knowles: Feb 2009 for 6 months

Rizos Sakellariou: Lent term 2008-09, Summer term 2008-09, Michaelmas Term 2009-10 (2 semesters)

Xiao-Jun Zeng: January 2009-April 2009

Ning Zhang: January 2009 – June 2009

Vacancies top

Academic Staff

None

Research & Technical Staff

Research Fellows in Text Mining (2 posts)
School of Computer Science
Closing date: 08/10/2008. Ref EPS/80936.

Management & Professional Staff

None

Administrative Staff

None