Just to let you know about the following work going on in Kilburn in the coming weeks/months:

Loading Bay upgrade – starting 26th June - new building access/exit arrangements

The loading bay is being upgraded. The large external shutters will go and it will be completely glazed with new entrance doors. From the 26th June the loading bay will be closed for approximately 7 weeks – exit/entry will be via the north entrance near the chaplaincy – and a new push button will be installed to exit the building out of hours. Out of hours access has been transferred to this entrance door for staff/PGRs. There will be a temporary porters desk in the foyer near the North entrance for deliveries.

 

LF21 – A&V Robot Lab development

This work has now started and they are clearing the area ready to start the remodelling of the space. The contractors are using the back corridor past the LF offices to the goods lift for access – the flooring protection has gone down, and all necessary signage has been put up.

Collab1&2 are being used for furniture storage so are also closed and notices will be put on the doors.

LF15 – PGR Home

As part of the redevelopment LF15 is having the electric sockets and lights upgraded, so we are in the process of clearing this room and it will be out of action till the end of the project. Affected PGRs have been notified.

 

It's now time to sign up for GTA work for the next semester starting in September - remember you can work as a GTA in Submission Pending, Once you've submitted and are awaiting viva, and while finishing your corrections too.

It's early as usual to help you manage your workload and give you time to make changes if you don't get all the GTA hours you requested. If you are not a CompSci GTA then you'll need to wait for your Department to open your portal to sign up.

If you've not signed up before - then even with inflation and the cost of living crisis looming the extra salary is not the only reason to be a GTA - it is also a good Resume/CV builder and you can get a portable recognised qualification afterwards (and you can TA even if you are on a visa).

As a GTA you can gain invaluable work experience in HE to teach, mentor, support and assess students, which involves explaining concepts, marking work and helping with a wide range of teaching activities. The role is a great way to demonstrate your skills for future employers (academic and industrial), with a direct route to attaining accreditation with the Higher Education Academy. And you can work as a GTA even if you think you will have submitted by Semester 1 2024/25.

Signing up is easy, you just need to go into the system and confirm you'd like to work. Remember, there is no guarantee at this point, this is purely a request not an assignment (which comes later), but I'll be doing my best to accommodate you.

Sign-up

You need to action this by 28 June 2024.

So please do log in now (using this link only) and confirm or update your details for Semester 1 2024/25.

Deadline: 5pm on Friday 31 May 2024 (this Friday)

Would you like to gain real-world experience in research consultancy with businesses?

Full Switch™ Research Consultancy Programme - Funded places available

Translation Manchester is providing a unique opportunity to researchers (including PhD students, postdocs, early career researchers and technicians) to engage with industry and get real-world experience as research consultants, through the training programme Full Switch, offered by Code Switch Consultants.

Full Switch™ is an MBA-style Research Consultancy Programme, offering researchers real world research consultancy experience with businesses. During the programme, researchers combine existing research expertise with new skills in consultancy and project management to help business address a wide range of challenges.

The programme aims to substantially boost researchers’ career prospects in any field by focusing on in-demand transferable skills in collaboration, business engagement and project management. Visit this site for more information about the programme.

Join Full Switch to:

• Bridge Science and Business
• Unlock New Career Possibilities
• Create a safety net for your career

Time Commitment

It is a 6-month programme (1 July - 16th December 2024) with an average commitment of 7 hours/week. During this time, researchers work in interdisciplinary project teams of 5-6 members. The programme is very flexible and it’s 100% online. There are only a few set dates and times for events that researchers are expected to attend. Associates should attend all workshops, coaching sessions, meetings, and presentations.

By applying to this programme, you are committing to all the above and you will need approval from your line manager/supervisor who will need to sign the application form.

How to Apply:

Translation Manchester, via the Wellcome Translational Partnership Award, will fund a limited number of places in the programme (priced at £1,100 per person) for University of Manchester staff and students. In order to be considered for this opportunity, please fill out the application form and submit it to translation@manchester.ac.uk by 5pm on Friday 31 May 2024. Once we agree to fund your place in the programme, you will still need to register through Code Switch Consultants (information on the application form).

Launched in 2020, the Turing Internship Network is a national engagement scheme between our business partners and doctoral students across the UK and Ireland who are studying any topic with a data science and/or AI focus. The Turing Network's role is to facilitate and convene, pairing internship projects put forward by industry with talented doctoral students. The business partners host, supervise, and provide a salary for the successful interns.

Students must meet all the following eligibility criteria to be considered for the scheme: 

• Be a current doctoral student enrolled in a university based in the UK or Ireland.
• Have the right to work and be based in the UK or Ireland depending on the role location.  
• Be studying for a PhD that heavily uses methods or concepts from mathematics, statistics, data science, computer science, AI, ethics and/or technology, or social science and public policy for the policy internships.
• Be able to pause their studies for the entire duration of the internship, unless the internship allows for part-time or flexible working.
• The student’s supervisor and university department must support their application. 

Additional eligibility requirements may apply for specific internships and those are specified in the role descriptions. 

https://www.turing.ac.uk/collaborate-turing/internships

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new partnership between the University’s Students’ Union and Headspace. This will give students access, at no cost, to the entire Headspace library for one year.

There are 3000 licences available, and the referral pathway is as follows:

• The student should be signposted to the SU Advice Service via the Online Contact Form. Students will need to use their UoM email address on the form, as this is required in order to access Headspace.
• In the ‘Your enquiry’ section, they can state that they would like to access Headspace. They don’t need to provide any details of why they wish to access it.
• The Advice Service will respond to requests for Headspace by sending the student a link to sign up for free.

All colleagues can refer students – you don’t need to make an assessment of the student or check that they meet any particular criteria. If, using your professional judgement you think it would be helpful for the student, that is sufficient.

At this stage, we are asking that you do not promote this on your public channels due to the limited number of licences available (although this may change in the future depending on uptake).

If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Best wishes,

Rebekah Ollerenshaw (Students’ Union Advice Service) and Katie Urnevitch (Division of Campus Life)

Student Support and wellbeing

University of Manchester l Oxford Road l Manchester | M13 9PL | www.manchester.ac.uk| www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk

Join us to celebrate our new Innovation Academy focusing on inspiring and accelerating the translation of research knowledge to provide benefit.

WHEN: Thursday 18 April, from 12:00-14:30 & an optional workshop 14:30-16:00  WHERE: 3.006 a/b Alliance Manchester Business School

Register now for your FREE Ticket [uominnovationfactory.us20.list-manage.com]

Join leading academics and key external partners to celebrate the launch of our new initiative, and discover how their knowledge and experience can benefit you on research commercialisation and impact delivery. More specifically: Hear about opportunities and pathways to help you deliver tangible impact from your research Engage with the UoM Innovation Community, the wider Innovation Ecosystem and External Mentor Network Hear the latest in regional innovation opportunities including Innovation District Manchester project and the Renolds Incubation Hub Launch of the inaugural Innovation Competition and support packages to kick start translation of your research idea Networking lunch and drinks

Agenda 12.00 - Welcome Luke Georghiou 12.10 - Innovation Academy vision, mission and opportunities Aline Miller 12.20 - Delivering tangible impact from your research: Case study: Holiferm James Winterburn 12.30 – Researcher to Innovator Case study:  Henry Birt & Reem Swidah 12.40 - Panel discussion: Emerging opportunities within our growing Regional Innovation Ecosystem Lou Cordwell, Professor of Innovation and Chair of GMCA Business Board Cat Headley, Head of Business Engagement & Innovation Factory Masood Entrepreneurship Centre Jessica McCreadie, Northern Gritstone 13.20 - Innovation District Manchester John Holden 13.25 - Launch of Inaugural Innovation Competition Aline Miller 13.30 - Next steps and Networking lunch 14.30 - [Optional] Afternoon focussed foresight workshop: Building a Supportive Ecosystem to Accelerate Innovation

Register now for your FREE Ticket [uominnovationfactory.us20.list-manage.com]

The Open Access (OA) Gateway helps researchers meet the OA requirements for the next REF and the University's Publications Policy.

When you have a paper accepted for publication, submit your Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) to the Library for deposit to Pure.

The Library will ensure that your paper meets the OA requirements for the next REF by verifying the manuscript version, checking applicable journal and funder policies and arranging Green OA.

You can also use the OA Gateway to apply for Gold OA funding.

To all interested researchers, young(er) and old(er), we’re happy to announce that we’ve finalised the programme of the 11th SIPTA School, and that it can be found on the school’s recently launched website: https://school24.sipta.org/. We recall from our previous mail that the school’s aim is to introduce doctoral students – and other interested researchers – to the basics of imprecise probabilities, from its foundations in (applied) mathematics and logic to its applications in quantum physics, economy and AI. More information on the full programme, the lecturers, etc. can of course be found on the school’s website.

DATE AND LOCATION
The SIPTA School 2024 takes place from Monday 12 to Friday 16 August 2024 in the wonderful city of Ghent, Belgium.

REGISTRATION
The registration portal is open as of today. For doctoral students at a Flemish University,  the registration fee is € 0 and the deadline for registration is 30 June 2024. For all other participants, the registration fee depends on the moment of registration. There is an early bird fee of € 100, which requires you to register before 15 April 2024. After this deadline, a late bird fee of € 125 will apply, and the deadline for registration is 30 June 2024 as well. All fees include admission to the lectures, lunches, coffee breaks, a pizza night and a kayak session. Moreover, we also provide you with the option to hire a private room for the duration of the summer school, which comes at a cost of € 330. If you want to make use of this option, then you must register before 15 April 2024.

GRANTS
We can distribute 5 grants to students who experience financial barriers to attending the summer school. In addition to waiving the registration fee, every grant provides free accommodation, and covers (part of) your transport costs up to € 250. The deadline for application is 10 April 2024; more information on how to apply for these grants can be found in the Registration section of the school’s website.We look forward to welcoming and meeting you in Ghent!Please spread the word!

With kind regards,

Floris Persiau and Alexander Erreygers

_______________________________________________
SIPTA News mailing list -- news@lists.sipta.org

Dear All,

Nominations are now open for the Department of Computer Science best output awards:

• "Steve Furber" Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis in Computer Science (£200)
• "Carole Goble" Medal for Outstanding Doctoral Paper in Computer Science. (£150)

and the University’s Distinguished Achievement Awards:

• Best Outstanding Output 
• Best Contribution to PGR Environment 
• Best Contribution to Society/ Local Community Award
• Best Contribution to Internationalisation.

The guidance and application form to submit a nomination is attached , with the deadline for nominations 5^th April 2024. Applications for all awards should be submitted via the Department, by emailing completed nomination forms to: oliver.rhodes@manchester.ac.uk. Applications will then be reviewed by the Dept panel, and Dept nominations put forward to FSE/MDC. 

If you have one or more recently graduated PhD students who have produced an outstanding thesis, or recently graduated or currently registered PhD students who have produced any outstanding papers, please do consider nominating them for the Department Computer Science best output awards. Nominations for both these prizes will be automatically considered for the MDC (Manchester Doctoral College) "Best Outstanding Output" (see Distinguished Achievement Awards above).

We expect the great majority of applications to be for the Departmental prizes (best Thesis and Best Student Paper). These both count as "Best Outstanding Output" on the MDC form; please tick the corresponding box. It would be helpful if you indicated the identity of the prize in the title of your submission email, noting the above deadline. Please also attach the actual publication(s)/thesis in question. We recommend that you use the supporting statement to help the various committees judge the prestigiousness of the publication venues in regard of the Best Paper prize.

Eligible PhD theses are those where the degree AWARD was between 1^st April 2023 and 31^st March 2024 (inclusive). Eligible Papers are those whose publication date is between April 2023 and March 2024 (inclusive), it being understood that no paper can be submitted in two successive years. Jointly authored student papers are admissible, but these must be substantially the nominee's own work.

Looking forward to receiving nominations.

Oliver

Welcoming all PGRs to The University of Manchester’s inaugural Open Research conference at Manchester Museum on Wednesday, 24 April 2024. 

 The Open Research Conference 2024 brings together researchers from across the disciplines to explore the important topical questions being posed by society around open research and integrity.

Book your tickets for the conference here

Our Keynote Speakers:

• Professor Sarah de Rijcke: Professor of Science, Technology and Innovation Studies at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University, advising on global science policy.
• Malvika Sharan: Senior Researcher at The Alan Turing Institute, specialising in open research and community building. Co-founder of OLS (previously Open Life Science).

How can PGRs contribute to the conference?

• Call for Speakers

We welcome speakers from our PGR community.

Please submit a 300 word abstract for a 15-minute presentation via the online form: Open Research Conference 2024: Call for Abstracts by Friday, 29 March 2024. Abstracts will be reviewed by the conference committee and notifications of acceptance will be sent in the week beginning Monday, 1 April. 

• Bring a Poster 

PGRs can bring and display a poster on the day of the conference. There will be an opportunity to discuss your research with fellow attendees during breaks in the conference programme.

• Open Research Award 2024: Recognising Excellence

The conference will feature an awards ceremony for this year’s Open Research Award winner 2024, recognising outstanding contributions to the University's open research culture over the past year. If you are interested in applying or nominating someone for the Award, further details about the nomination process and criteria can be found here.  Submission deadline: Friday, 29 March 2024.

Contact Us

For more information about the Open Research Conference or Award please contact the Office for Open Research: openresearch@manchester.ac.uk

Turning Ideas into Assets: IP and Commercialisation for Academic Innovators

This event is your chance to learn how to turn your brilliant ideas into valuable assets! Join us at Blended Theatre 1 (GA.056), Wednesday, 20 March for a morning filled with insights on intellectual property and commercialization for academic innovators. Discover how to protect your ideas, navigate the world of patents, and successfully bring your innovations to market. Don't miss this opportunity to network with fellow innovators and experts in the field. See you there!

Agenda

09:15 Coffee & tea on arrival

09:45 Welcome & Introduction

PART 1: IDEAS

10:00 The mindset of IP creation: Technology Push or Need Pull?

10:20 Identifying opportunities for commercialising your research

10:40 Refreshments - breakout and networking

PART 2: ASSETS

11:00 What happens at the Innovation Factory?

11:15 The mindset of IP protection: Patenting and beyond

11:45 Q&A

12:00 Close

Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/turning-ideas-into-assets-ip-and-commercialisation-for-academic-innovators-tickets-846929357507 

April PGR social

Hi everyone, this month's PGR drinks social will be held on Friday, 15th March at 5pm in the Kilburn common room.

We'll have soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. We hope to see you then!

The Mentors

Hi All,

Library training and support continues during semester 2 with a new programme of workshops and drop-in sessions to support PG Researchers and Researchers in their development.  

Our workshops this semester cover a range of support to help you raise your research profile, enhance your public speaking skills, manage the challenges of research and dedicate time for writing. Researchers can consult our online training resources at any time and/or attend our regular library drop-in sessions for general or more specialist enquiries. For further information please visit My Research Essentials via the Library website:

• My Research Essentials

Our Specialist Library Support service also provides workshops and drop-in support in areas of copyright, referencing tools and software, advanced searching and systematic reviews and business data.  

• Specialist Library Support 

PG Researchers can contact Library Help & Support or speak directly to a member of staff via our 24 hour Library Chat.

Best wishes

Gemma

🍵☕ Mentors Tea and Coffee Social ☕🍵

The next coffee/tea social is Today (Tuesday, 20th February) from 1:30-2:30 pm in the common room. Come by and enjoy a break from your studies to catch up with PGRs in the department. We'll have coffee, tea, and snacks for the full hour, so please pop over to say hello!

Hope to see you there,

The Mentors

As of December 2023, we have three main social media channels in the Department of Computer Science:

• twitter.com/csmcr
• youtube.com/uomcompsci
• linkedin.com/company/csmcr

If you'd like to know how (and why) you can use these to publicise your research, teaching or public engagement work, details are on our staff wiki at wiki.cs.manchester.ac.uk/staff/index.php/Social_media 

This is a reminder of the wealth of information, including policies and direct links to PGR systems, tailored for Supervisors on the FSE’s Doctoral Academy digital space - bookmark the link now. 

In addition, you can direct your postgraduate researchers to the DA Website (https://www.se.manchester.ac.uk/doctoral-academy/) as a key resource for information.

Dear All,

Project proposals are invited for 8 or 12-week undergraduate summer internships. Up to 3 internships are available for Summer 2024 and successful candidates will receive £1,500 per month during the internship period. Up to £500 will also be available to cover research costs where required.

Funded by Urenco as part of an outreach programme to boost STEM learning, these internships are aimed at pre-final year undergraduate students currently studying at universities that don’t provide opportunities for them to carry out research in STEM subjects – the projects do not have to have any relevance to Nuclear. The internships will give these students an opportunity to gain valuable research experience and thereby give them the confidence and enthusiasm to apply for a PhD at the end of their undergraduate studies.

We would be grateful if you could promote this opportunity to interested parties, particularly to Early Career Researchers, including PDRAs. 

Anyone who would like to submit a project proposal should complete this form. Some guidance is provided below:

Recruitment Process

• Projects will be advertised from March 2024.
• Candidates will be encouraged to contact project supervisors to discuss their suitability. 
• Candidates will be required to submit a short application form to confirm their eligibility. 
• Supervisors will be asked to nominate one candidate for their project. 
• If there are more suitable applicants than funding available, a Faculty panel will be convened to make final decisions.

Projects

Projects should be accessible to UG students with no previous research experience. Project titles and descriptions should be simplified as much as possible to appeal to the target audience.

Supervision

Supervisory arrangements must be in place to provide adequate supervision for the duration of the project. 

The assigned academic advisor (pastoral support) for all Summer Interns will be Professor ScottHeath.

Departmental approval 

Supervisors are responsible for confirming HoD approval and availability of required facilities for the project.

Student Eligibility

Currently enrolled on an undergraduate degree in a STEM subject at a non-research-intensive university and about to enter their final year of study in September 2024. Candidates should demonstrate that there is no opportunity for them to carry out a substantial research project within their current programme.

Hold a current average in assessments to date of over 50%.

Funding arrangements

Successful candidates will receive £1,500 per month during the internship period.

Contact for enquiries

Sandra Kershaw (sandra.kershaw@manchester.ac.uk) 

Best wishes,

Scott and Sandra

Hi everyone,

It's that time of year again that we welcome a new cohort of PGRs to the department with drinks and pizza! Please join us in the common room on Friday, 9th February at 5pm, where we'll have soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, and Neapolitan-style pizza on offer. 

Looking forward to seeing you then, 

Sara, on behalf of the Mentors

The Mentors are a PGR peer support scheme in the department of Computer Science. Get in touch with us here: CS-MENTORS@listserv.manchester.ac.uk

Dear All

We hope this finds you very well.

Many thanks once more for helping us accomplish the aim of Generation Delta [generationdelta.leeds.ac.uk] to nurture the next generation of Black female professors.

We have opened registration for our next free in-person 1-day workshop on Retention and Progression. At the workshop we will have senior academics as well as current doctoral students and early career researchers talk about what progression within a PGR programme involves, ways to address racial discrimination during PGR study, and institutional support and engagement opportunities for PGR students. More details in the flyer attached.

The workshop will take place at the University of Leeds Cloth Hall Court on Tuesday 5^th December 2023 (we will reimburse transport expenses up to £100 per attendee).

Registration link: https://forms.office.com/e/pq7Lwc6kuK [forms.office.com]

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GenDelta2022/status/1717627968732713390 [twitter.com]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7123387770709905408 [linkedin.com]

Website: Invitation to Gen Delta Student Workshop, University of Leeds | Generation Delta [generationdelta.leeds.ac.uk]

Warm regards,

Iyiola

Professor Iyiola Solanke, Jacques Delors Chair in European Law, University of Oxford

Hello everyone, 

I am recruiting participants for a study. It’s a simple task: you’ll listen to 120 sentences and respond to words that pop up on the screen. You’ll also answer some comprehension questions. It should take around 40mins to 1hour to complete.

Please see the attached Participant Information Sheet (also linked here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/x5l781s85tcapi7/phd_exp3_ethics_PIS_inperson_v1.pdf?dl=0) which provides detailed information on the study.

If you’d like to participate, or have any questions, please do get in touch with me (Paul Stott) via: PAUL.STOTT-2@MANCHESTER.AC.UK. I am recruiting participants as of NOW and will begin running the study as soon as possible.

Thanks 

Paul

Arm is opening the internship program for the summer, 2024. The general job post can be found: https://careers.arm.com/job/cambridge/software-engineering-intern/33099/55195205952 [careers.arm.com]. This internship is designed for undergraduates, postgraduates and PhD students.

For PhD students specifically, although it is not necessary, we recommend PhD students, who are interested in applying, contact us prior making the applications. In particular, Architecture Technology Group (ATG) has a wide range of research-oriented projects, including hardware architecture designs, formal verification, security, machine learning, HPC, etc. For any candidate looking for research in industry experience, please don't hesitate to contact us (ref: shale.xiong@arm.com).

Hi All,

Just a quick note to say that I'm now back from sick leave, and assuming HoPGR responsibilities again - many thanks for the well wishes, and to Bijan who has stepped in during my absence.

Please also let me take this opportunity to welcome all the September starters to Computer Science - wishing you all the best on your PhD journey, and please don't hesitate to get in contact with myself or the Doctoral Academy if you need anything as you settle into the Department.

Oliver

oliver.rhodes@manchester.ac.uk

https://www.se.manchester.ac.uk/doctoral-academy/support/contact-us/ 

We hope you will join us for pizza and refreshments on Thursday 14th September in the Staff & PGR common room from 3.30pm.  Come and meet existing and new colleagues as we gear up for the start of the academic year.

Free food and nerdy company...the essence of computer science!