School of CS newsletter

Please join the Recruitment and Admissions team in extending best wishes to Sue Wolfenden, who is retiring from the University on 16 November 2018. Sue has been an esteemed member of the professional support team since 9 November 1998 and she will be greatly missed by applicants and colleagues alike.

We wish Sue well as she starts on a new chapter and we wish her well for her retirement.

A collection and a card are available in the R&A office.

The Library has re-designed the Researcher Services webpages to bring together all the services that the Library offers to support research in one place.

Content here now relates to all stages of a research project and to our researcher development programme. The Library also hopes that these webpages will be useful for the next REF; to identify all the ways that the Library supports the REF.

Below is a brief summary of the 6 new sections of the webpages:

• Using our collections

The Library provides access to a wide range of material to support and advance your research in the most appropriate and cost-effective way. Here you can find information about our collections and services, such as how to order journals, using our text-mining datasets, and our world renowned Special Collections.

 

• Open research

The University supports and encourages engagement with the principles of Open Research. This section gives guidance on Open Access, sharing data and other research outputs and ensuring your publications are eligible for submission to the REF.

 

• Managing research data

Every research study needs a data management plan, and most funders require you to share and deposit your data. We can support you with all aspects of Research Data Management, from initial planning to depositing your data in research data repositories and the Research Data Gateway.

 

• Broadening audiences

Find out how the Library can help you reach a broader range of audiences with your research by communicating your findings in accessible and engaging ways on social media and the web. The John Rylands Library also engages with public audiences through a programme of events and school workshops, in line with the University’s public engagement strategy. Get in touch to discuss your research and potential engagement opportunities.

 

• Academic and wider impact

Take advantage of our research metrics services to help you evidence the reach and impact of your research, both in academia using citation data and in non-academic spheres using altmetric data.

 

• My Research Essentials

Find out more about the Library’s researcher development programme: My Research Essentials (MRE). MRE is the Library's programme of workshops, events and online resources designed to support researchers with the development of skills at all stages of their career. Topics include dissemination of research and raising your research profile. To help researchers navigate the programme we have created a pathway for Postgraduate Research students

 

The British Computer Society is hosting a free Software Practice Advancement Showcase Event in Leeds on 26th November.

The event has been designed with a broad audience in mind and besides Software Practitioners, it is likely to benefit people working with software practitioners, budding practitioners/students and academics.

Event and booking details:

https://minispa2018.eventbrite.co.uk

The event is free, though places are limited and booked on first come first served basis.

If you have supervised a PGR student in the last year then this email is for you. I am also sending this information directly to PGR students.

Every year the President presents a "President’s Distinguished Achievement Award” to one PGR Student from each faculty. As far as I can tell, nobody from Computer Science has won this award before.

We can nominate one student to faculty and we are seeking nominations.

The criteria are as follows:

“The nominee should be an outstanding research student who has excelled in some significant manner, for example, after the presentation of a thesis based on the recommendation and judgment of the external examiner; or has had a major research achievement during a PGR programme –e.g. high quality journal publications; research spin off, etc.”

I believe the eligibility requirements are that they must have been a PGR student in the last year but I can confirm if there is any doubt about a particular student’s eligibility.

Nominations should be made to Giles Reger by 21st November and the final nominee will be selected by the PGR Awards Committee.

A student cannot nominate themselves and would ideally be nominated by their supervisor. A nomination should include:

1. A  supporting statement (maximum 700 words) outlining the reasons why the student should be nominated
2. A lay summary (maximum 120 words) that would form the basis of the citation if selected (e.g. should be clear, concise and accessible)
3. At least 2 letters of support from peers (e.g. external examiner, research collaborator) or academic staff. At most 4 letters of support may be included.

Where possible please aim to include evidence (e.g. impact factors, awards received, subsequent grants awarded).

See here for an example of last year’s winners, search for "Postgraduate Research Students of the Year 2017".

On behalf of the Faculty’s Social Resonsibility Team, I am emailing to highlight that nominations for the Better World Showcase, the FSE Social Responsibility awards, are open. The aim of the Showcase is to raise awareness of the important contribution our Faculty makes to social and environmental impact, to highlight the efforts of staff and students who are ‘making a difference’, and to hopefully inspire others to do the same.

All staff and students who currently work or study in FSE are eligible to be nominated as are recent alumni (within the last 3 years) if their work is related to a social enterprise. More information about the categories, criteria and the nominations process is available on the Better World Showcase website 

We encourage colleagues to nominate those who are making a difference, whether that be themselves or others, so that the fantastic contribution that our staff and students make can be celebrated. Can I ask that you share this information with colleagues in your areas via your channels as a reminder to get involved?

To nominate, please complete this online form. This form will ask for the details of the nominee(s), up to 200 words about the project or initiative and up to 100 words on how the nominee(s) has ‘made a difference’. There is also the option for the project to automatically be nominated for the University’s Making a Difference Awards.

Nominations must be submitted via the online form by Monday 5^th November 2018. If you have any questions, please email Daniele Atkinson or Fran Guratsky.

The winner in each category will be announced at the Better World Showcase celebration event which will take place on Wednesday 6^th February 2019, 1-3pm.