News from Head of
School
Student Recruitment
I think you are all aware that student recruitment
continues to be a cause for concern. The shortfall in admissions
last September made a large hole (around £500k) in our budget, and we seem
to be suffering a further significant drop in applications this
year. I have discussed the situation with those most directly
concerned with recruitment, but I am also including this item in the
newsletter because many of you are involved in some way, and we are all
affected. The main point I wish to make is that we need to grasp
every opportunity to attract students – particularly overseas students,
but home students are important too. We may have enjoyed the luxury
in the past of sitting back and waiting for applications, then playing
safe by accepting only those we could be quite sure were of an appropriate
standard, but our current (falling) rate of recruitment leads to a
staff-student ratio that is simply not financially sustainable. The
Dean is extremely supportive, but we need to show that we are helping
ourselves. I had a meeting with him on Friday morning where I was
not helped by the perception he has picked up from Faculty staff (based on
their numerous interactions with members of the School) that we are not
really taking the problem seriously, and show little enthusiasm to explore
new opportunities when they arise. We now have an External Affairs
team doing sterling work on our behalf, but this is something for which we
all need to take some measure of responsibility. We certainly need
to demonstrate to the Faculty that we are doing everything we can to
improve the situation. Any ideas you have, any energy you are
prepared to invest, will all be gratefully received. I am determined
that we must minimise any detrimental effect on standards, but we have to
turn this around. For my part, I recognise that the internal
competition with Informatics is doing neither School any favours, and have
been trying, through the External Review Implementation Group, to ensure
that the Institution takes this problem seriously. I hope to be able
to report progress on this soon – the Group is due to report by the end of
February at the latest.
2005/06 University Researcher of the
Year
Schools have been invited
to nominate a ‘Researcher of the Year’, and I would welcome
suggestions. The individual should be someone whose research has
successfully challenged dogma, created a new field of research, elucidated
a new paradigm, made a fundamental change in thinking, or impacted
significantly on society. It should be possible to identify some
milestone reached within the past year (approximately). Faculties
can make one nomination each and the University deadline for nominations
is Friday 24th February. If we wish to propose an
individual for the EPS nomination we need to put together a written case
of no more than one page by noon,
Friday 17th February. Suggestions copied to
me, John Gurd, Ursula and Lynn please.
Optimization of the PML Absorbing Boundary
Condition New
15 Feb
Dr Jean-Pierre
Berenger. Centre de Analyze de Defense
1415-1515, Lecture Theatre 1.5,
Kilburn
Building
More
Information
Modifying Query Plans at Runtime without
Recomputation New 15 Feb 06
Kwanchai
Eurviriyanukul
1300-1400, Atlas 1,
Kilburn
Building
More Information
Spin-out Companies: Employment, Insurance &
Tax Issues New 16 Feb 06
Janet Knowles and Helen Cookson, Eversheds LLP,
Solicitors
Nigel Musson from McParland Finn, Science & Technology
Insurance Brokers.
Good Practice
in Academic Intellectual Property & Commercialisation - a seminar
series commissioned by UoM, Salford & MMU
1025-1245, Chancellors Conference Centre (followed
by free lunch)
To register email Lorraine.Joseph.seminars@umip.com
by 14 February
Biomedical Resources for Text Mining
New
23 Feb 06
Dr Olivier
Bodenreider, NIH, National Library of Medicine
1300-1400, H11 lecture theatre, Renold Building
More Information
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.
Internal Meetings and
Events
top
Dancing the Molecules New
20 Feb 06
Bringing Molecular Biology to
Life and Systems Biology to Practice
Inaugural Lecture of Professor Hans Westerhoff
1700
Reception, 1800 Lecture, Renold Building, Lecture Room C9
More
Information and Register to
Attend
Industrial Funding for
Research New
23 Feb 06
Barriers and Incentives to
Working in the UK
The University is hosting
the first of a number of national events sponsored by the Royal Academy of
Engineering to debate the climate for industrial research funding in the
UK, with the aim of influencing
future Government policy. The event will be led by Mr John
Baxter FREng, Chief Engineer with BP, with a series of talks from leading
industrialists, ranging from multinationals (eg AstraZeneca) to university
spinouts.
0930-1600, Manchester Conference
Centre
More
Information
North
West Grid
Workshop: Bioinformatics and the Grid New 20 Mar
06
E-Science North West (ESNW)
& NW Institute for Bio-Health Informatics (NIBHI)
0930-1615,
Atlas 1&2.
Registration:
email name and organisation to castreos@manchester.ac.uk
More
Information
Enabling a Business Process
Revolution
21 Mar 06
Irving Wladawsky-Berger, IBM Vice President,
Technical Strategy and Innovation
Evening – time and venue to be
announced
BBSRC Open Meeting
2006
20 Feb 06
At BBSRC's second Open Meeting,
facilitated by Nick Ross, Julia Goodfellow will invite discussion on the
Council’s current and future scientific priorities, and views on how best
it can work with industry. Questions will also be welcomed on any aspect
of BBSRC’s policies, either raised on the day, or submitted in advance to
maggie.leggett@bbsrc.ac.uk.
Entrance free but tickets required.
1600-1830,
Manchester
Town
Hall, tickets from diane.sly@bbsrc.ac.uk.
More
Information
EPSRC Public Engagement
Workshops
8 Feb & 9 Mar 06
Introducing PE to ‘virgins’ and passing on best
practice. Space limited.
More information and
registration.
Genomes to Systems
Conference
22-24 Mar 06
An important conference concerning the
latest concepts and breakthroughs in genomics and systems biology.
Discounted registration before 31 Dec 05.
More
Information
BCS/IEE Accreditation
Visit
18-19 May 06
Those who will definitely need to be
involved should already know and have these dates in their diaries, but
could all staff involved in teaching please note the dates and try to
ensure they will be available if required.
Funding
Opportunities
top
BBSRC International Scientific Interchange Scheme
(ISIS)
Open
BBSRC's International Scientific Interchange
Scheme (ISIS) provides support to help scientists make and establish new
contacts with their international counterparts. Funding is available to
BBSRC grantholders, and researchers working on BBSRC-supported projects at
BBSRC-sponsored Institutes for travel and subsistence for three main types
of visit. The scheme is open to bids at any time (at least 6 weeks before
travel) with payments being made in advance of any visits. Please note
BBSRC-supported students are not eligible to travel under ISIS support.
More
Information
Royal Commission Research
Fellowships
23 Feb 06
The scheme of 1851 Research Fellowships is
intended to give a few young scientists or engineers of exceptional
promise the opportunity for conducting research for a further period of
two years. Approximately six awards are made each year. Candidates in
science subjects must normally be in possession of a PhD degree, or in the
final stages of their PhD studies. The Fellowships are open to
candidates in any of the physical or biological sciences, in mathematics,
in applied science, or in any branch of engineering.
More
Information
Royal
Society Conference
Grants
01 Mar 06
The Conference grants scheme supports UK based scientists to either
present their own paper/poster or chair a session at an overseas
conference.
Subjects covered:Conferences related to all sciences, ie
the disciplines in which the Society will elect researchers to the
Fellowship of the Royal Society (for further details see the sectional
committee information on RS website).
More
Information
Fellowships at the Life Sciences/Physical Sciences
Interface
3 Mar 06
In recognition of the importance of
cross-disciplinary approaches across the Life Sciences, our Faculty has
established 3 new (5 year) fellowships at the Life Sciences/Physical
Sciences Interface. We wish to appoint exceptional researchers with a
proven background in mathematics, computer science, chemistry, physics, or
engineering, who have successfully applied these skills to address a
biological problem. Each fellowship will cover the salary of the fellow
for 5 years, and will allow them to attract external funding during the
tenure of the fellowship to establish their independent
laboratory.
More
Information
Royal Society Research
Grants
4 April 06
The Research grants scheme
provides seed-corn funding for new projects of timeliness and promise
initiated by research scientists at an early stage of their career or by
established scientists wishing to change the direction of their
research. The objectives of the scheme are to increase the
availability of equipment and consumables for high quality
research.
More
Information
Royal
Society Wolfson Research Merit
Awards
27 April 06
Jointly funded by the Wolfson Foundation and the
Office of Science and Technology, this scheme aims to give universities
additional support to attract key researchers, with great potential or
outstanding achievement, to this country or to retain those who might seek
to gain higher salaries elsewhere. The focus of the award is salary
enhancement. Research expenses are also considered for research costs not
suitable for Research Councils research grants applications and for
overseas applicants to support integration into theUK research and funding
environment.
More
Information
RAEng
Industrial Secondment
Scheme
Open
The Industrial Secondment Scheme provides an
invaluable opportunity for university lecturers in engineering 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 organisation which
gains a temporary but highly qualified member of staff, and to the
university which has the opportunity of strengthening its links with
industry. The Scheme provides funding for the university to employ a
temporary replacement for the secondee. In this way it minimises the
effects on the normal flow of teaching, and makes it easier for
universities to release members of staff for secondment. The Scheme has
also been well received by industry, and many organisations have indicated
a willingness to offer places to engineering academics: where possible The
Royal Academy of Engineering helps in the 'matchmaking
process'.
More
Information
Royal Academy of Engineering Global
Research Awards
Global Research Awards provide an opportunity for
engineers currently engaged in research and development to undertake
projects in centres of excellence overseas. Projects should focus on
activities which could help stimulate wealth creation and improvements in
the quality of life, supporting the international development of research
networks and encouraging the uptake of globally competitive technology in
the UK.
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.
UK National Science Week 2006 –
Nominations
17 Feb 06
Young researchers in science, engineering and
technology (SET) are invited to participate in the annual presentations in
the House of Commons that have been a feature of National Science Week
since 1999. Successful applicants present posters at Westminster on
"leading-edge" science, engineering, medicine and technology research, and
compete for prestigious national awards and prizes. This year’s
event is sponsored by Dr Brian Iddon MP. This is an opportunity to
strengthen your CV, whilst helping to communicate the importance and
excellence of UK SET to MPs and ministers. The event will take place
in the House of Commons on 13th March 2006 with separate lunchtime
and evening presentations.
More
Information
René
Descartes Prizes
2006
4 May 06
The European Commission is inviting proposals
under its framework 6 science and society programme for Rene Descartes
prizes. These are to recognise excellence in research and science
communication. Prizes for research will be at least 200000 euros each, and
projects must include legal entities from 2 different member or associated
states, and include at least one member state or associated candidate
country.
More
Information
None this week
Awards and Promotions
None this week
Academic Arrivals
None this week
Academic Departures
None this week
Research Arrivals
Stuart Owen – Software Engineer – IMG from
3.2.2006
David Withers -Software Engineer –IMG from
1.2.2006
Research Departures
None this week
Administrative Arrivals
None this week
Administrative Departures
None this week
Sabbatical Leave
Andrei
Voronkov: Microsoft Research, Redmond USA
Aug 05 – Aug
06.
Ian
Horrocks: University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bell Labs, and Stanford University
Feb 06 – Sep
06.
Peter
Aczel: Nijmegen University, and Maths Institute at the
University
of Munich
Jan 06 –
Sep 06.
Alasdair
Rawsthorne: 80% secondment to
Transitive Technologies
Oct 05 – Sep 06.
Alvaro
Fernandes: IBM Almaden Research Centre
US
Jul – Dec 06.
Academic Staff
None
Research Staff
None
Administrative Staff
None |