Research Conference 2022: Game Changing Research

Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science
'Buried: Shedding light on how people lived, by examining stories of the dead'

Funerary rituals show us what people thought about mortality, loss and what came next. From Roman cremations and graveside feasts to deviant burials with heads rearranged, from richly furnished Anglo-Saxon graves to the first Christian burial grounds in Wales, they provide an alternative history of the first millennium in Britain. In her second book on British burial archaeology, Alice Roberts combines archaeological finds with DNA research and written history to shed fresh light on how people lived, by examining the stories of the dead.

Professor Alan McNally 
‘Covid-19 and me: Very testing times’

 Join Alan’s talk for a fascinating insight into the UK’s COVID-19 testing strategy. Hear about his first-hand experience of setting up and overseeing Covid-19 PCR testing at the UK’s first Lighthouse laboratory in Milton Keynes in 2020 - dealing with government, tired volunteers and even the army! His work didn’t just stop there, he went on to deliver high quality diagnostics and vital data for the city and region, working with UoB’s own Alex Richter. 

Professor Lisa Bortolotti and Professor Matthew Broome 
‘No decision about me without me: Improving youth mental health’  

 75% of lifelong mental health disorders begin before the age of 24. Find out how research in youth mental health is making a difference, from prevention through to improvements in clinical services and treatments for young people and how an exemplar interdisciplinary project is working with young people to truly understand ‘Agency’ in mental health encounters.

Professor Paul Jackson, with a cross-College panel of experts
'Conflict and its aftermath'

Whilst war in Europe was unimaginable last year, in many parts of the world it has never left leaving a vast wake of problems and questions in its aftermath. How to rebuild governments, how to re-establish essential services, how to cope with large numbers of refugees?  War also serves to increase gender-based violence, places pressure on health provision and has detrimental effects on mental health and wellbeing. What lessons can we learn from those states that have experienced conflict and war? How can we mitigate the worst effects of violence and the erosion of legitimacy, policy and nationhood? Join the debate with our cross-college panel of expert researchers.

‘Opening up ways to Open Access’
Open access publishing is now commonplace but why can it feel so hard to navigate? In this panel our experts will discuss why OA is important for researchers locally and globally, share routes to successful OA publishing, including a local Diamond OA initiative. We’ll also examine how one School stays up to date with the seemingly never-ending changes. 

Mike Dainton – Head of Scholarly Communications Services

 'Making an impact with your impact' 
What makes good research-led impact? And how do you package that engagement to demonstrate the reach and change that has occurred?  This session will offer advice on generating impactful research, developing relationships with stakeholders, strategies for evidencing that impact as well as explore the opportunities for support from the University. 

Lee Chapman, Professor of Climate Resilience, DDoR and Impact Lead LES
Nick Crowson Professor of Contemporary British History, DDoR and Impact Lead CAL 

 ‘Thinking Big; Realising Ambition: Developing Large-scale Research Proposals’
How do you attract funding to grow your research, expand your partnerships and drive future opportunities? In this session you will find out how the University can help you to create the right environment, engage the right partners and position your idea in order to “think big”, “realise ambitions” and develop successful, large-scale research funding proposals.

Steve Taylor, Head of Strategic Research Development 
Professor Jon Glasby, Professor of Health and Social Care, Director IMPACT Centre
Professor Kai Bongs, Chair in Cold Atoms, Director UK Quantum Technology Hub for Sensors and Timing, EPS College Director of Innovation 

‘How to win your first grant application’
How to go about writing your first research proposal and maximise your chances of gaining a grant? Join a panel to understand how to approach this and what the various stages of the process are.

Xavier Rodde – Head of Research Development and Support

 ‘Reflections from REF panellists’

Following the huge success in REF2021 – the University’s most successful yet, hear directly from colleagues who were REF panel members, with coverage across the four Main Panel areas. Join this session for fascinating insider insights into the panels and their key conclusions. 

Elizabeth Westlake, Head of REF and Research Policy (convenor)

 ‘Plug into the latest ways to elevate your research on social media’
The social media landscape is continually changing, it’s no longer just Twitter where academics hang out. Broadcasting on social no longer works. From laying the foundations for employing social media to raise awareness of your work, to more advanced techniques and tools to engage with your audience, network or field, this session will share the experiences of industry leads alongside academics from Birmingham, including early career researchers as well as those more established in their fields.

Rich Smith, Deputy Director of Communications

The AI Revolution: As data and machine learning transforms research, what are the opportunities?
AI – the ability of machines to learn how to perform human-like tasks from data - is embedded in our daily lives and has long been used in diverse areas of research, but the impressive capabilities and very high profile are now making a far broader range of researchers consider what AI has to offer them.

This session will explore the potential impact of artificial intelligence in other areas of research – both as a means for solving problems and as a source of inspiration for new ideas. A presentation by Professor Iain Styles, Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI, will explore the potential of AI and machine learning in research, highlighting some recent successes. 

Attendees will then take part in roundtable discussions centred around the role of data and AI in four grand challenge themes, to identify specific opportunities in each of the thematic areas:

• Understanding Inequality
• Sustainability
• Healthy Bodies, Minds, and Behaviours
• Accelerating Progress in Science

The aim of this session is to help researchers from all disciplines bridge the gap to AI and identify the potential for collaborative opportunities, with follow-on support provided by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI.

Professor Iain Styles (Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Science and AI) followed by a panel session with researchers who are both developing and applying AI.

 ‘How to do interdisciplinarity: Key skills for interdisciplinary research’
In this session you will gain a developed understanding of the enormous benefits of an interdisciplinary approach to research and some of the core skills needed to be an effective interdisciplinary researcher. You’ll also learn about the support available and the “How to do interdisciplinarity” training programme.

As part of the session you will meet other attendees and explore opportunities for future collaboration, including hearing first-hand of a bespoke ‘new collaboration’ call where those that have made connections at the session can apply for funding to undertake a small piece of interdisciplinary research.

Professor Dominique Moran, Deputy Director Institute for Global Innovation and Advanced Studies

‘Developing interdisciplinary projects on Sustainability and Climate Action Research’
In this session you will engage with the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability & Climate Action (BISCA). BISCA aims to facilitate and deliver world-leading research on sustainability and foster climate action for the research community, students, policy and decision makers, and wider society – leading to better livelihoods and a more sustainable environment in a rapidly changing world.

Following a short overview presentation about BISCA, we will hold roundtable conversations to discuss: (1) how colleagues you can engage with and help shape BISCA; and (2) ideation for transformative, interdisciplinary research projects (considering focus, scale, funders, impact, pump-priming needs etc.). The session will conclude with clear commitments to action plans to take forwards ideas.

Professor David Hannah, Director of the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action