University Updates
17 October 2008
Research news
Pharmacy & Pharmacology awarded £80,000 grant to study schizophrenia drug
Jane Sutton and Denise Taylor (Pharmacy & Pharmacology) have been awarded a grant of £80,000 from the Pharmacy Practice Research Trust, on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, for a study addressing treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS).
Researchers discover how infectious bacteria can switch species
Nick Waterfield and Maria Sanchez-Contreras (Biology & Biochemistry) together with colleagues at Exeter have developed a rapid new way of checking for toxic genes in disease-causing bacteria which infect insects and humans. Their findings could, in the future, lead to new vaccines and anti-bacterial drugs.
How good is South West wood? Researchers investigate timber as a sustainable building material
Richard Harris (BRE Centre for Innovative Construction Materials) and colleagues at UWE are investigating whether wood grown in the local region can be used more widely as a building material. Their results will enable the sustainable management of forests in the South West and make better use of this currently under-utilised resource.
School governing is ‘overloaded, overcomplicated and overlooked’
A team of academics led by Chris James (Education) has highlighted the need for change to improve the vital role played by the 330,000 school governors in England.
A group of people from the Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Departments are looking to start a Research Group on Robotics and Autonomous Systems.
Visiting Professor appointed in the Department of Physics
Professor Jacques Yves Guigné, who is currently a Senior Executive and Chief Scientist of PanGeo Subsea Inc., will work with Philippe Blondel to investigate seabed acoustics. Professor Guigné studied for his PhD in Bath in 1986.
International Relations create more diversity, not less
Professor Antje Wiener has released a new book, The Invisible Constitution of Politics, which argues that European integration has resulted in more diversity, not less.
Invitation to promote your research at Royal Society's Summer Exhibition
The Summer Science Exhibition is the Society's most prestigious event of the year. The deadline for proposals for this year's event is 20 October.
L&T news
Bath launches unique degree in education and international development
The Department of Education has launched a unique degree course that aims to help students develop the knowledge and skills to build a fairer and more sustainable world.
Funding available: Do you offer CPD programmes to external employers?
The University has established a new CPD Development Fund worth £30k each year to encourage improvements in the way we meet the training and development needs of employers regionally and nationally.
Staff recognised
Professor receives award for contributions to fluid power research
Professor Cliff Burrows OBE has received a prestigious award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME) for his outstanding contribution to research and education in the field of fluid power motion and control.
Dr Jos Darling receives National Teaching Fellowship award at London ceremony
On Wednesday 24 September, Dr Jos Darling, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering received his National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) award at the Higher Education Academy's dinner and ceremony in London. Only the very best lecturers or teaching support staff in higher education become Fellows as the NTFS is a highly competitive recognition scheme.
Lecturer elected to a fellowship of the Pharmacological Society
Reader Roland Jones has recently been elected to a fellowship of the Pharmacological Society.
Academic invited to give lecture
Ian Gough (Social Policy) was invited to give the prestigious lunchtime lecture at the Congress of the German Sociological Association, held in Jena last week. Over 300 people attended to hear his lecture on "Global futures of the welfare state".
Students
Bath students: international prize winners for ninth time
Three students from the Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering - Oliver Neve, Kevin Hares and Rob Jeans - scooped three of five Structural Engineering awards this year at the Institution of Structural Engineers’ Model and Full-Scale Testing Awards.
Blog: Student shares experiences of her 'Study China' visit
Mona Matei, a student in the Department of Economics, was one of two Bath students to visit our partner, Shandong University (SDU) in Jinan Province, China, as part of the Study China Programme. In her blog she shares some of her impressions of her exchange visit.
Information
University pay award – October 2008
Staff will receive a 5.0 per cent pay rise in their November payslip which will be backdated to 1 October 2008.
Changes to Pilot Sabbatical Leave Scheme 
A number of amendments have been made to the sabbatical application process since the 2007/08 calls. Applicants and Heads of Department are, therefore, asked to ensure that all applications conform to the requirements.
New starters in September 2008
The new starters update gives the name, job title and department of all new members of staff at the University who started in the previous month.
Manual staff sought as representative for University Court
Nominations for the vacancies, signed by a proposer and seconder (who must also be full-time members of staff who are not academic staff) must be sent to Clare Henderson, Office of the University Secretary, Wessex House 6.11 (ext: 3400) by 5pm on Monday 20 October 2008.
Charles Stuart is the Technical Staff Representative on the Equalities and Diversity Committee
Charles Stuart has been re-elected as the representative of Technical Staff on the Equalities and Diversity Committee for the period ending 31 July 2009.
Private flu vaccinations available to staff
The University Medical Centre is able to offer private flu vaccinations to University staff who do not automatically qualify for a free vaccination from their registered GP. A flu jab costs £15 and flu clinics are being run over the next few weeks on various dates.
Jobs
Vacant posts: www.bath.ac.uk/jobs
Openings
New branch opens as University celebrates partnership with Abbey
The Chief Executive of Abbey, Mr António Horta-Osório and Professor Glynis Breakwell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath, officially opened a new campus-based branch of the Abbey Bank on Wednesday, 8 October.
University celebrates re-opening of Quarry Road bridge
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath, Professor Kevin Edge, has cut the ribbon at the official opening of the new Quarry Road footbridge on the University’s Claverton campus.
Council Chamber refurbishment completed
The Council Chamber has reopened after refurbishment, which has resulted in a very high spec boardroom space.
Research volunteers sought
Do you suffer from epilepsy?
Mark Brosnan is conducting a research project exploring the experience of epilepsy. If
you have epilepsy and would like to take part in our research, please access our online questionnaire which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and is suitable for anyone over 18 years. It explores how epilepsy affects the way we think before and during a seizure.
Earn £5 for 45 minutes of your time
PhD researcher, Charlotte Mounce is offering to pay volunteers £5 to help her investigations into relationships between psychological factors, cognitive biases and pain experience.
Free lunch: Focus group on getting contraceptive pill direct from chemist
A group of pharmacy students are researching women’s opinions about getting the contraceptive pill direct from a pharmacy (eg Boots) without a prescription.
Volunteer for exercise study and win tickets to Thermae Bath Spa
Simon Sebire, a Doctoral student in the School for Health is seeking volunteer exercisers to participate in a study about their experiences of exercise.
In the Media
- John Hudson (School of Management) appeared on ITV West and BBC Radio Wiltshire talking about how SW businesses are effected by the current economic crisis.
- Chris James (Education) was interviewed on BBC Radio stations in Bristol, Somerset and Gloucestershire about his research conducted into school governors and the future of the role.
Training opportunities
- Writing for the web - 21 October, 21 November, 10 December
- Presentation skills - 24 October
- Running Tutorials and Seminars - 28 October
- Appraisal Training - Support Staff - 11 November
- Appraisal Briefing for Appraisees - 17 November
- Free IT training courses for staff
Lectures
Free public lectures to explore topics of security and liberty
Local people are invited to attend a trio of lectures on the subject of security and liberty at the University of Bath on Tuesday 21 October 2008 at 6.15pm (lecture theatre 8 West, 1.1).
Full programme of University Public Lectures
The programme for 2008/9 is now online. Members of the general public, staff and students are all very welcome to attend. More lectures will be added as details become available.
What's on next week
Monday 20
13:15 PM Application Forms - all you need to know...
13:15 PM BICS seminar
19:30 PM Second deluge or just another drop in the ocean?
Tuesday 21
12:15 PM Eucharist
12:45 PM Oxfam Lunch
13:15 PM Women's Studies Seminar
13:15 PM CNM Seminar
18:30 PM Law for non-lawyers
Wednesday 22
13:15 PM Why does alcohol cause alcoholism?
13:15 PM Want to be a trader?
13:30 PM Interviews & commercial awareness
15:15 PM CANCELLED: Kolton Lee- Filmmaker, Prophet Pictures
17:15 PM Paracetamol and over-the-counter medicines - How safe are they?
Thursday 23
13:15 PM Focus on your future - making the most of your time at university
13:15 PM Considering a career in actuarial work?
13:15 PM Making successful applications and surviving an interview
Friday 24
14:15 PM CV Workshop
Saturday 25
10:00 AM Making large scale work
19:30 PM Robin Dingemans - Me + You = 5
Sunday 26
19:30 PM Orchestra Scratch Weekend Concert
Arts
Performances
- bgroup: The Diminishing Present | ICIA Arts Theatre | Saturday 18 October, 7.30pm
Ben Wright launches his own company with three new pieces of poignant and exquisite dance. The mind, heart and the human condition in turn become studies for the company’s five outstanding performers.
Talks
- Iain Sinclair | ICIA Art Space 2, 3WN 2.1 | Wednesday 22 October, 7pm-8pm
An award-winning writer makes the city the central subject of his work. His multi-layered writing bursts with ideas and is part history, part sociology, full of political satire, black comedy, myth and autobiography.
Exhibitions
- Anne Tallentire: Dimora | ICIA Art Space 2 | Thursday 9 October-Friday 12 December
Dimora meaning dwelling or residence looks at how objects in this space are carefully arranged to create a functioning social arena, workspace or decoy.
- Alison Marchant Charged Atmospheres | ICIA Art Space 1 | Till Friday 31 October
Alison Marchant’s fading photographs of once grand interiors, now abandoned and decaying, emphasise the passing of time.
Sport
Bath athletes feature in Parade of Heroes through London
TeamBath athletes joined hundreds of their British Olympic and Paralympic team-mates in the Parade of Heroes through the streets of London yesterday (Thursday).
Buccs draw 4-4
An under strength TeamBath Buccaneers men’s firsts battled back from two goals down in the first 13 minutes to draw 4-4 at the University of Birmingham.
TeamBath netballers aim to win back Superleague
TeamBath have named an exciting and powerful 15-strong netball squad that will bid to win back the national elite Co-operative Superleague title this season.
TeamBath FC face two away games in the space of three days as they aim to maintain their momentum in the Blue Square South. They are top of the table and take-on seventh place Hampton and Richmond on Saturday before travelling to Worcester City on Monday.