5th ESRC Research Methods Festival. Oxford, 2-5 July 2012

Posted on: 5 September 2012
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The Festival themes included: the interface between social and natural sciences; methodological innovations; mixed and multimodal methods; career and skills development; and interventions and evaluations. Presentations are available online.

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CIRCLE-2 Climate adaptation Infobase

Posted on: 5 July 2012
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CIRCLE-2 is a European Network that funds research and shares knowledge on climate adaptation, and maintains INFOBASE, a searchable online library of climate adaptation projects. INFOBASE  now contains summaries and contact information for over 700 projects, including local, national and trans-national activities.  CIRCLE-2 welcomes new additions to INFOBASE, as well as updates to existing to entries.

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New knowledge for resilient futures

Posted on: 3 July 2012
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The Transition Research Network (TRN) is a self-organising peer group of academics and community activists which aims to: help advance understanding and practice in transition; support transition groups to address their research needs; help transform the crisis in our universities into an opportunity for positive change in research culture, making research relevant, fulfilling, and fun. A report has been published which highlights the outcome of two recent meetings. The first, held in Manchester on 28 November 2011, identified some of the key issues, along with approaches through which they might be addressed. The second meeting, held in Plymouth on 29 February 2012, aimed to identify solutions.

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Accessibility, sustainability, excellence: how to expand access to research publications

Posted on: 20 June 2012
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The National Working Group on Expanding Access to Published Research Findings (the ‘Finch Group’) has published a report which sets out an encouraging and challenging road map to improve open access to scholarly literature. It recommends a programme of action to enable more people to read and use the publications arising from research. Better, faster communication of research results will bring benefits for public services and for economic growth. It will also bring improved efficiency for researchers, and opportunities for more public engagement with research.

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Research for resilience. Birmingham, 19-20 March 2012

Posted on: 30 May 2012
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Presentations are available from the Local Area Research & Intelligence Association (LARIA) Conference which considered the challenges facing local authorities in the current political and economic climate.

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Pathways to impact of research

Posted on: 28 May 2012
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Research Councils UK (RCUK) continue to work with its research communities to develop guidance for Pathways to Impact. It aims to encourage researchers to be actively involved in thinking about how they will achieve excellence with impact and to explore pathways for realising the impact of their research. The case studies provide personal accounts from RCUK funded researchers in regards to their approaches and experiences of Pathways to Impact. The case studies also provide guidance, top tips and best practice for helping researchers to realise the impact of their research.

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Transport Systems Catapult Centre

Posted on: 21 May 2012
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The Transport Knowledge Transport Network has written a document, in consultation with industry partners, that gives an overview of the emerging thinking around a Transport Systems Catapult Centre. The Transport Systems Catapult will enable high-value, integrated, efficient and sustainable transport solutions to be developed and commercialised more rapidly in to the UK and Global markets through new cross-sector collaborations between suppliers, industrial customers, industry bodies and policy makers.

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Virtual Training Suite

Posted on: 10 May 2012
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The Virtual Training Suite aims to help university students to develop Internet research skills to assist with their university coursework and assignments. Over 60 free Internet tutorials are on offer, each covering Internet research skills for a different subject, with a few extras covering skills that are relevant across disciplines. The tutorials were written by a team of UK university lecturers and librarians. Each tutorial is divided into four main sections, which enable you to:

TOUR – the best of the Web for your subject of study.

DISCOVER – how to find scholarly information online.

JUDGE – which Internet resources are appropriate for university work.

SUCCESS – learn by example, how to use the Internet for academic research.

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Partners for new URBACT projects

Posted on: 10 May 2012
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The 19 URBACT Thematic Networks approved in April 2012 are now looking for new EU partners, including cities but also regional authorities, universities and other public institutions, to join their work on integrated, sustainable urban development. During the 6 month Development Phase, all new URBACT projects have to extend their partnerships from five up to a maximum of 12 partners. The approved projects include:

CityLogo: City branding and marketing to promote better positioning of cities in the post crisis economic arena;

CSI Europe: Involvement of cities in Jessica Urban Development Fund (UDF) structures – Role of financial instruments in efficient planning;

DID-RFSC: Referential Framework for Sustainable cities – Monitoring local strategic plans to engage stakeholders/ citizens in an integrated and sustainable approach;

E4C: E-skills for innovative cities through joint definition of integrated urban strategies, policies and practices;

ENTER.HUB: Railway hubs/ multimodal interfaces of regional relevance in medium size cities as engines for integrated urban development and economic, social and cultural regeneration;

EUnivercities: Exploring the next generation partnerships between cities and universities for a more strategic and effective co-operation;

RE-Block: Creating sustainable high-rise blocks through social cohesion, green spaces and poverty reduction;

Sustainable food for urban communities: Innovative initiatives for more sustainable food production/ retail & consumption in urban communities;

URBACT Markets: Local markets as drivers for local economic development and regeneration by exploring the links between local sustainability and successful markets;

USE ACT: Fostering opportunities for people & businesses to settle in existing locations and avoid consumption of land, through new planning processes and partnership approaches;

USER: New processes and partnerships for Urban sustainable & efficient regeneration by integrating expertise of uses from inhabitants and field workers;

WOOD FOOTPRINT: Fostering local economic development through the use of brownfield and  buildings/ spaces abandoned due to the transformation of the wood/ furniture sector.

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Communicating EU transport research

Posted on: 3 April 2012
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In order to help research project teams to improve the communication, dissemination and promotion of transport research, the European Commission has released a set of recommendations and tips. The publication includes good practices and examples from project coordinators and a checklist for improving communication activities from the start of the project.  The publication also provides a list of freely accessible tools that the European Commission is providing for use to raise project profiles.

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