…ions, preventing disease and managing outbreaks, and this application of research to real-world problems is something Arantza wants to work on. She says the ability to work with an organisation like Pirbright is one of the main advantages of the DTA programme; “The most beneficial element of the programme is that students are encouraged to do placements. This means you learn new things and meet more people- people who can help you in your future c…
…s to both excellence and fair distribution. Those of us championing a place-based agenda need to find new arguments to navigate these complex issues, while avoiding simplistic interpretations such as the north-south divide and cities vs towns. These ignore the poverty in parts of London and the southwest and the affluence of some towns. The other divide in this election was, of course, between Leave and Remain. Will a landslide victory give the pr…
…mple is our free-to-access Business Incubator Programme. A 12-month, cohort-based programme for early-stage innovative businesses, it includes guided sessions on core business areas including value proposition design and business model consolidation; plus one-to-one business mentoring and access to modern, co-working spaces, networking opportunities and access to mentoring from our business advisors and Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR). Since laun…
…submissions, articles and blogs on research policy, for the Ministerial Research Task Force, the Research & Development (R&D) Road Map consultation, Innovate UK, the BEIS Committee, Science and Technology committee, and the Education Committee. 12. Our core recommendation to government on care leavers, featured in a comment piece in the Guardian, is now the subject of a feasibility study commissioned by OfS. 13. We contributed to the OfS’s review…
Blessing is researching sustainable soil-based alternatives to cement A Civil Engineering graduate from Nigeria, Blessing Adeleke investigated the use of magnesium oxide (MgO) waste, and other industrial by-product materials in construction. He is one of several researchers at the University of South Wales who are driving research in soil-based alternatives to cement. Blessing’s PhD explored the use of wastes and industrial by-products in buildin…
…alliances before the pandemic arrived. DTA3 Fellows have missed out on face-to-face networking and opportunities to broker essential connections within their academic field and industry. In spite of the challenges they have faced, as we come out the other side of Covid, our Fellows are engaged, eager to network and keen to grasp all opportunities to disseminate their passion and project work. It is amazing to see our Fellows not just surviving but…
…socialising, which supports motivation while promoting solidarity and peer-to-peer support. One of the key benefits I have gained from my role on the DTA Rep Committee, is developing intimate knowledge of the complexities and challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey we distributed was effective in illustrating its far-reaching negative consequences for our PhD researchers. These include concerns about the continuation of fundi…
…ugh these they can then create the informal connections to receive the peer-to-peer support that may become vital for their wellbeing. Develop strong representation systems While it is great that Student Unions (SUs) cover postgraduate representation, I know from my own experience that undergraduate-focused SUs are not the best place for PhD issues to be actively listened to. PhD students need dedicated representation systems and the issues they r…
…projects in more depth. We had the choice to share our work as oral, Pecha-Kucha-style or poster presentations, and the themes – how our research relates to the world outside the university and the interdisciplinary element of our projects – helped reveal shared interests and methods across our projects. The interactive poster session in WonderRoom was particularly fun. We learnt a lot about the work of peers outside of our disciplinary cohorts,…
…skills capacity of the vaccine manufacturing workforce within the Stockton-on-Tees region. Sitting at the nexus between higher education, business and public services, it is often Alliance universities that deliver the commercialisation of findings, translational research, innovation support and skills development necessary to develop ideas into application; delivering real-world innovations in care, services, products and delivery. This role wil…
