From: Chris Taylor [chris.taylor@manchester.ac.uk]
Sent: 27 October 2008 10:46
To: Chris Taylor
Subject: CS_Newsletter_2008-10-27.doc

 

 

MANCHESTER

           1824

School of Computer Science

Weekly Newsletter

27 October 2008

Contents

News from HoS

This Week

School Events

External Events

Funding Opps

Prize & Award Opps

Research Awards

Staff News

Vacancies

 

Links

News Submissions

Newsletter Archive

School Strategy

School Intranet

School Seminars

ESNW Seminars

NaCTeM Seminars

 

News from Head of School

Signing Off

And so, the time has come … this is the last newsletter before I stand down on Friday as Head of School.  My thanks to everyone in the School for making the past four years a stimulating and enjoyable time – I could not have wished for more able, committed and positive colleagues.  Particular thanks to all those, too numerous to mention individually, who have supported me personally in the role – I could not have survived without you.  The School has been through some ‘interesting’ times since the merger but, though all your efforts, I believe it is in good shape.  As I pass over the reins to Norman’s capable hands, I wish him and everyone in the School all the very best for the future, and look forward to continuing my association with one of the University’s ‘jewels in the crown’.

APT Grant Success

Congratulations to Steve Furber and the APT Group who have followed up their recent success in obtaining an EPSRC Platform Grant by winning what may well be the last EPSRC Large Grant prior to discontinuation of the scheme. The five-year £4.5M project Biologically-Inspired Massively-Parallel Architectures: Computing Beyond a Million Processors – with Steve as PI, Jim Garside and Dave Lester as CoIs – is a collaboration with the universities of Southampton, Cambridge and Sheffield, and industrial partners ARM, Silistix and Thales.  It involves the construction of a million-processor SpiNNaker machine at Manchester to provide a general-purpose computational platform for real-time modelling of large-scale systems of spiking neurons.  The project will also allow exploration of other applications of the architecture.  For an overview of the philosophy behind the project see Steve Furber’s recent article in the BBC Tech Lab series.  You may also be interested in more information on the SpiNNaker project.

Changes to EPSRC Grant Acceptance

EPSRC has recently announced changes to the administration of new awards, via Je-S, which come into affect tomorrow.  It is important that you are all familiar with the new proceedures which are significantly different to the current arrangements.  In particular, please note that the Research Organisation with have 10 working days to accept offers.  Failure to accept within this time will result in the offer expiring.  Please let the School Research Office know if you are likely to experience any difficulty in responding on this timescale.

 

Events this Week                                                              top

eLearning Network Meeting

The Network is open to all staff who have an interest in using technology to enhance teaching and learning and is intended to provide  a forum for colleagues to new discuss ideas and to learn about  projects taking place across the University.  The Teaching and learning Support Office would like to extend our  invitation to you, to attend the first Network meeting.  The Network brings together all existing University wide eLearning  networks into one grouping to help support the development of a large  and diverse eLearning community.

1200-1300, Room G.51, Chemistry Building

More Information

Wear it Pink                                                                                                      31 Oct 08

 

We will once again be supporting the Breast Cancer Campaign by holding a Wear it Pink Day. 

Tombola - From 11am in the foyer – we still need prizes! Donations to ACSO please. All donations gratefully received.

Cakes and Drinks – From 3pm in Staff Common Room – a welcome to new staff

 

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

School Research Student Symposium                                               3 – 5 Nov 08

The School Research Student Symposium provides an opportunity for students to present their work to a wide audience within the School, developing their presentation skills and receiving useful feedback on their research.  The event is open to all; PhD students and their supervisors are encouraged to attend as much of the event as possible.

0900 Monday 3 Nov – 1500 Wednesday 5 Nov, Kilburn 2.19 (posters IT 406/7)

More details

Theoretical Results on Artificial Immune Systems New                         3 Nov 08

Andrew Hone, University of Kent

1400, 2.15, Kilburn Building

More Information

Advanced Tools and Technologies for Collaborative Research New         6 Nov 08

JISC-sponsored roadshow event in collaboration with the e-Science North West (ESNW) Centre.  New tools are available to help researchers collaborate in multidisciplinary teams, often across institutions, and hence increase their competitiveness. This JISC sponsored roadshow for researchers and those providing IT support services, will introduce the infrastructure, and some of the tools and resources that have recently been developed to enable collaborative research.  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.

0930-1330, Atlas Rooms, Kilburn Building

More information, Programme & Registration

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"

Manchester- 28th October 2008

Other venues available.


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 by Wednesday 1st October 2008.

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

UMIP Premier Fund Masterclass New                                                       25 Nov 08

Speakers: Alex Hoye, CEO of Lattitude Group, Paul Strzelecki, an experienced investor, and The University’s own Sharon O’Kane, Co-Founder of Renovo

UMIP is holding a masterclass for staff interested in finding out more about entrepreneurial activity here at the University.  The event is being organised by MTI Partners who are the managers of the £40 million UMIP Premier Fund which was launched earlier this year.

More Information & Registration

 

Funding Opportunities                                                      top

RAEng - Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Scheme                            31 Oct 08

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s visiting fellowship scheme provides funding to enable an academic engineering department in a UK university to be a host for up to a month to a Distinguished Visiting Fellow from an overseas academic centre of excellence.

More information

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

HPC2-Europa2 Call for Applicants                                                           15 Nov 08

The HPC-Europa Consortium is happy to announce that the Transnational Access Programme will continue up to the end of 2012. This is an EC-funded programme of short collaborative research visits with access to Europe's biggest supercomputers.

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 2008/09                                         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.

RAEng - ERA Foundation Entrepreneurs Award New                          30 Oct 08

A prize fund has been established to identify entrepreneurial researchers, working in UK universities, in the field of electro-technology, who are at an early stage in their career. The award will be presented to an individual or team demonstrating considerable entrepreneurial promise and the potential to benefit the UK’s future prosperity.

More Information

 

 

Research Awards                                                              top

Awards are announced here when the formal offer letter is received

None this week

 

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

Postdoctoral Research Associate: Systems Biology
Closing date: 07/11/2008. Ref EPS/81233.

Management & Professional Staff

None

Administrative Staff

None