Department of CS newsletter

Gosh!

Thank you all so much for the incredibly touching and kind words in my leaving card. If I'd known you all felt that way about me, I wouldn't have left! I have so many brilliant memories of our times together in CS.

I am incredibly excited about my new role in Health Sciences as my heart lies in looking after people essentially, and this post will mean that in some way I am contributing to the health and wellbeing of Manchester folk.

I also want to thank you all for your contributions to my leaving gift. I was stunned! This goes to my new van fund. One day I truly will be that hippie taking new adventures in sunny and snowy climbs in my ace van! Yes. You were always right Simon, I am a hippie! (takes one to know one)

Anyone who feels they've missed out on a yoga or pilates class! You haven't. I'm still teaching. You have my email address! And as I'm still here at the University, I'm always up for lunch, drinks, and of course, as many of you referred to; a good boogie!

Long live love! Thank you all xxx

The Highly Restricted Data Service (HRDS) will be launched later this year. The project team would like to invite the research community (and any interested staff) to a webinar which will give a preview of the enhanced HRDS service. This will also cover an overview of the costs associated with the service in the future, and how researchers can benefit from a more enhanced service.   

The webinar will focus on the following topics: 

• Introduction to the services under HRDS 
• Overview of the cost model for the HRDS
• Demo of the Data Safe Haven cloud service
• Feedback and Q&A from the research community  

These webinars will take place on Thursday 17 February and Tuesday 8 March. You can sign up via the Eventbrite link below.   

Webinar: Introduction to the Highly Restricted Data Service (Thursday 17 February 10am – 11am) 
Webinar: Introduction to the Highly Restricted Data Service (Tuesday 8 March, 2pm – 3pm)

UKRI are seeking feedback on their approach to impact in research applications. They welcome input from all academics, and particularly encourage responses from:

• EPSRC (and other UKRI) Panel Members
• People who have submitted proposals after March 2020.

https://engagementhub.ukri.org/reforming-our-business/impact2021/consultation/subpage.2021-09-07.8905355516/

UoM has joined up with GCHQ along with three other North West-based universities to create a “Security and Trust Partnership” in the North West that will see closer ties with academia. In a first for the intelligence, cyber and security agency, the new partnership will see GCHQ publish its own research jointly with the universities. 

Professor Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research, said: "We are delighted to be part of this important and innovative partnership and look forward to mobilising the digital research expertise of The University of Manchester to tackle critical national security challenges. Across our Digital Futures platform, and through our Centre for Digital Trust and Society, our thriving interdisciplinary community of researchers will explore the many facets of digital security and make a distinctive contribution to addressing the pressing challenges of keeping our communities safe and secure in an uncertain, digital age."

The move signals a further move towards collaboration between GCHQ, academia and industry, as laid out in the Integrated Review. Find out more here.

Researcher of the Year: Selection of FSE Nominee for the 2022 University Award – deadline Friday 28^th January 2022 (12 Noon)

School of Engineering academics (excluding PGR students) are invited to submit nominations for Researcher of the Year. Nominations will then be reviewed by the School Panel, who will select two researchers to go forward as the School of Engineering nominations.

The nominee should be someone whose most recent 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. Individuals who have excelled in the area of knowledge transfer should also be considered.

You are also asked to reflect on how a prospective nominee’s contributions link to our core goals and themes in Our Future and also how they exemplify our six values.

Of course our circumstances have continued to be affected by the pandemic so you may wish to consider candidates who have contributed in some way to the COVID-19 efforts or those who have managed to excel while facing extreme challenges arising from the pandemic.

Please use the attached nomination form. Self-nominations are welcome. Nominations should be no longer than 700 words and should be explicit about how the nominee meets the criteria for the award. The nomination should include the names of a minimum of 2, and a maximum of 4, of the nominee’s peers who could be approached subsequently for a letter of support, should the academic be selected as the Faculty’s nominee for the University award.

In addition, nominators are required to provide a very brief summary of the nominee’s achievements i.e. no longer than 120 words.

1. the nomination is successful these 120 words will be used to form the basis of the citation at the awards ceremony. You are asked therefore to be clear, concise and mindful of the diverse range of people who will be in the audience at this event, particularly when constructing the shorter statement.

Please submit nominations to Olivia Marsh (Hosea ENG hosea.eng@manchester.ac.uk) no later than 12 noon on Friday 28^th January 2022 using the attached template.

Deadline: 15:00, Wednesday 09-Mar-2022 (UK time)

https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/jsps-postdoctoral

Fellowships are expected to commence between 1 September 2022 and 30 November 2022.

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) is the leading research funding agency in Japan, established by the Japanese Government for the purpose of contributing to the advancement of science. Our Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers (Standard) provides the opportunity for researchers based outside of Japan to conduct collaborative research activities with leading research groups at Japanese universities and research institutions for visits of between 12 to 24 months.

Eligible applicants should be a UK resident and currently based at a UK university or research institution. The applicant needs to have finished their PhD at the time of applying to start their fellowship in Japan or have obtained their PhD on or after 2nd April 2016.

Eligible research fields must be within the remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics.

Deadline: 31-Mar-2022
https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/healthcare-technologies-investigator-led-grant/

We are seeking a range of investigator-led proposals from researchers working in engineering, physical sciences, ICT and mathematical sciences who want to apply their expertise to a defined healthcare challenge.

We particularly want to encourage research projects in line with our strategies and in the under-represented fields of ICT, mathematical sciences and physical sciences.

We would expect strong proposals to be working with clinical, business, charitable or public sector partners.

Your application should be in line with the grand challenges of our healthcare technologies theme:

• Developing New Therapies, focusing on the need to produce safer, more targeted treatments fit for the demands of the decades up to 2050 and beyond
• Expanding the Frontiers of Physical Intervention, the potential to enhance established techniques and develop pioneering new approaches to such intervention that deliver high precision, minimal invasiveness and maximum impact
• Transforming Health and Care Beyond the Hospital, meeting the need for novel technologies that enable timely interventions beyond hospital settings and help people manage their own physical and mental health
• Optimising Disease Prediction, Diagnosis and Intervention, addressing both physical and mental health with techniques that optimise patient-specific illness prediction, accurate diagnosis and effective intervention.

The next monthly Display Screen Equipment (DSE) awareness session will take place on 31 January between 10:00am and 11:00am. The sessions are intended to help colleagues avoid potential health issues from computer work, by outlining the ideal workstation set-up and suggesting innovative ways to achieve this in a home office. It will also include basic exercises to help alleviate discomfort. Join here