scholarly journals OC 8259 THE VALIDATE NETWORK: EXPLOITING SYNERGIES BETWEEN COMPLEX INTRACELLULAR NEGLECTED PATHOGENS TO EXPEDITE VACCINE R&D FOR TUBERCULOSIS, LEISHMANIASIS, LEPROSY AND MELIOIDOSIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A3.1-A3
Author(s):  
Samantha Vermaak ◽  
Helen Fletcher ◽  
Helen McShane
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Early Career ◽  
London School ◽  
Time Sharing ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Data Analyst ◽  
Excellent Research ◽  
The Uk

BackgroundThe VALIDATE ‘VAccine deveLopment for complex Intracellular neglecteD pAThogEns’ Network is a Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Network, funded by the UK MRC and BBSRC and led by the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It aims to accelerate vaccine development for four intracellular pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Leishmania spp, Mycobacterium leprae and Burkholderia pseudomallei, by creating a network of scientists from around the world in an interactive community, sharing information, learning from synergies and differences, and forming new collaborations promoting cross-disciplinary, cross-pathogen, and cross-continent research.MembershipCurrently VALIDATE has 125 members from 66 institutes in 28 countries, including world leading scientists, post-doctoral researchers, postgraduate students, and interested lay members from academia, governmental agencies, industry, and non-profits.ActivitiesVALIDATE has four activity streams: 1) providing funding to its members, including pump-priming grants for excellent research, training grants for early career researchers, and fellowships to transition post-doctoral researchers to independence, 2) a members’ data-sharing portal, to encourage real-time sharing of data, catalysing the application of insights from one field into another, with an in-house Research Data Analyst working on cross-pathogen applications, 3) providing CPD opportunities for our members, including workshops, seminars and a mentoring scheme, and 4) speeding the „dissemination of useful and relevant information via a hub website (www.validate-network.org) and social media (@NetworkValidate) where our members can easily find information about new research, relevant funding calls, events, and training, mentoring and other opportunities. Interested parties can read about our funded work, while a searchable directory of members on our website and a free annual meeting facilitates the formation of new collaborations.VALIDATE is free to join and has an inclusive membership. This network would be of interest to researchers at the EDCTP Forum working on vaccine development for tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, leprosy and melioidosis.

scholarly journals Promoting interdisciplinary approaches to solving the complexity of environmental problems in Indonesia problems in Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Kathryn A. Monk
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Management ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽  
Excellent Research ◽  
The World ◽  
Operational Activities ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Right

As an ecologist, I believe we are now seeing the maturing of what we could call the Age of Ecology. An Age in which we finally develop that coherent and essential mainstream narrative for our future; one in which we tackle the interdependencies of nature loss, the climate emergency, and unsustainable production and consumption.The challenge has always been to recognise that the world is our bank account, and we live sustainably only by using its interest, not digging into our capital. If we do withdraw more capital, we must then find ways of investing more, to increase our capital. You can hear this language finally gaining much more traction today as politicians, managers and the public use the phrases natural and social capital, as well as the financial and manufactured capital, and recognise our dependencies on the natural environment.As such, I fully support the holistic, interdisciplinary sentiments and recommendations of Purwanto et al. (2020) in their introduction to the first issue of the Indonesian Journal of Applied Environmental Studies (InJAST).  I have promoted interdisciplinary approaches to solving complex environmental problems throughout my career and worked with other academics and practitioners to support the realisation of the societal and economic impact of their research. We have increasingly recognised research impact institutionally and financially, but one main weakness persists and that is the availability of academic journals for publishing such interdisciplinary work. This journal can offer such a space for researchers and encourage the recognition and promotion of evidence to policy and practice communications.  Most of all, this journal can foster the culture and confidence to ask the right questions to support the development of evidence-based decision making in policy and operational activities.  I have spent a lot of time working with researchers who are doing excellent research but not asking the best questions to help improve management and utilisation of natural resources.  Providing a forum in which students and early career researchers can confidently explore the rough answers to the right questions rather than the precise answers to the wrong questions, to paraphrase John Tukey (1915–2000), would be a wonderful role for InJAST.I am delighted to be asked to share my environmental experiences and perspectives in this guest editorial for the second issue of InJAST, reflecting for me a long association with Indonesia and Indonesian environmental managers, conservationists and foresters. I have worked around the world, especially in the tropics, firstly as part of scientific expeditions and then leading increasingly complex research and development programmes and institutions. Since returning to the UK, I have been involved in enhancing the quality and impact of scientific and interdisciplinary research and supporting the application and institutionalisation of the ecosystem approach and ecosystem services assessments. Here, I will focus on three major tropical environmental management programmes, two in Indonesia and one in Guyana, South America.These were complemented by subsequent involvement in the UK Government’s environmental management system. All reflect the evolution of environmental management and the emergence of the ecosystem approach, now being institutionalised slowly but surely around the world.

scholarly journals Towards a culture of open scholarship: The role of pedagogical communities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavio Azevedo ◽  
Meng Liu ◽  
Charlotte Rebecca Pennington ◽  
Madeleine Pownall ◽  
Thomas Rhys Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Research Integrity ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Reproducible Research ◽  
Mentoring Practices ◽  
Higher Education Pedagogy ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Impact Of Higher Education

The UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee has called for evidence on the roles that different stakeholders play in reproducibility and research integrity. Of central priority are proposals for improving research integrity and quality, as well as guidance and support for researchers. In response to this, we argue that there is one important component of research integrity that is often absent from discussion: the pedagogical consequences of how we teach, mentor, and supervise students through open scholarship. We justify the need to integrate open scholarship principles into research training within higher education and argue that pedagogical communities play a key role in fostering an inclusive culture of open scholarship. We illustrate these benefits by presenting A Framework for Open and Reproducible Research Training (FORRT), an international grassroots community whose goal is to provide support, resources, visibility, and advocacy for the adoption of principled, open teaching and mentoring practices, whilst generating conversations about the ethics and social impact of higher-education pedagogy. Representing a diverse group of early-career researchers and students across specialisms, we advocate for greater recognition of and support for pedagogical communities, and encourage all research stakeholders to engage with these communities to enable long-term, sustainable change.

Tradition and Innovation in Cataloguing Medieval Manuscripts

2021 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-58
Author(s):  
Orietta Da Rold
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Digital Form ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Medieval Manuscripts ◽  
Early Career Researchers ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Training

Abstract In this essay, I offer a brief history of manuscript cataloguing and some observations on the innovations this practice introduced especially in the digital form. This history reveals that as the cataloguing of medieval manuscripts developed over time, so did the research needs it served. What was often considered traditional cataloguing practices had to be mediated to accommodate new scholarly advance, posing interesting questions, for example, on what new technologies can bring to this discussion. In the digital age, in particular, how do digital catalogues interact with their analogue counterparts? What skills and training are required of scholars interacting with this new technology? To this end, I will consider the importance of the digital environment to enable a more flexible approach to cataloguing. I will also discuss new insights into digital projects, especially the experience accrued by the The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220 Project, and then propose that in the future cataloguing should be adaptable and shareable, and make full use of the different approaches to manuscripts generated by collaboration between scholars and librarians or the work of postgraduate students and early career researchers.

scholarly journals National control laboratory independent lot testing of COVID-19 vaccines: the UK experience

npj Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola J. Rose ◽  
Paul Stickings ◽  
Silke Schepelmann ◽  
Marc J. A. Bailey ◽  
Chris Burns
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Regulatory Approval ◽  
Safety Measures ◽  
Discovery Research ◽  
Innovative Products ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Vaccine Availability ◽  
And Control

AbstractThe past 18 months have seen an unprecedented approach to vaccine development in the global effort against the COVID-19 pandemic. The process from discovery research, through clinical trials and regulatory approval often takes more than 10 years. However, the critical need to expedite vaccine availability in the pandemic has meant that new approaches to development, manufacturing, and regulation have been required: this has necessitated many stages of product development, clinical trials, and manufacturing to be undertaken in parallel at a global level. Through the development of these innovative products, the world has the best chance of finding individual, or combinations of, vaccines that will provide adequate protection for the world’s population. Despite the huge scientific and regulatory achievements and significant investment to accelerate vaccine availability, it is essential that safety measures are not compromised. Here we focus on the post regulatory approval testing by independent laboratories that provides an additional assurance of the safety and quality of a product, with an emphasis on the UK experience through the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), an expert centre of the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTIONS OF CHANGE: A PATHWAYS CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY CONSULTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION-MAKING

2004 ◽  
Vol 06 (02) ◽  
pp. 189-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARK LEMON ◽  
PAUL JEFFREY ◽  
BRIAN S. MCINTOSH ◽  
TIM OXLEY
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Community Consultation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Environmental Decision Making ◽  
Individual Perceptions ◽  
Time Space ◽  
The Uk

Participation has become part of the language of environmental management. While this move is positive there remains a danger that overly formalised and restricted participatory procedures, in terms of the information sought, may constrain and hinder dialogue and learning between the public and management agencies. Responses to specific issues are often sought from members of the public without a clear understanding about whether those issues are salient to them, where they are salient or how they fit into multiple and dynamic interpretations of environmental change. This paper uses case study material from the UK to demonstrate a novel Pathways Approach to the recording and analysis of individual perceptions about environmental change. The approach seeks to concentrate on experience and interpretation and is based on the conceptualisation of perceived cause–effect relationships and the pathways that support them. The links between time, space and community are considered within this analysis, as is the potential for improved participation through the provision of policy relevant information to planners and environmental managers operating in complex, multi-perspective situations.

A Qualitative Analysis of Factors Affecting the Successful Completion of Postgraduate Studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 152-161
Author(s):  
Abdul Munir Ismail Et.al
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Successful Completion ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Postgraduate Studies ◽  
Research Findings

The study aims to highlight the current learning approaches used by postgraduate students to complete their postgraduate studies on time, as studies have shown many students have failed to finish their studies as planned. In particular, this study focuses on factors and methods that are perceived to be most effective by students to help them complete their studies on time.  Methodology: Thisstudy was based on a qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews. The study sample consisted of 14 postgraduate students and one lecturers as respondents. The research instrument was based on interview questions to elicit relevant information on their demography and learning practices. Data were collected and organized into four themes and were subsequently analyzed descriptively.     Findings: The findings showed that face-to-face discussions were the most popular practice adopted by the respondents. The findings also showed several factors had significant impacts on student learning, such as interpersonal relationships between students and supervisors, commitment, financial commitment, and moral support, which needs to be taken into account in helping students to complete on time.     Significance: The research findings can inform all the stakeholders, notably students, supervisors, and administrative officers, factors that have profound impacts on postgraduate students’ efforts to graduate on time.

scholarly journals Economic cost of congenital CMV in the UK

2018 ◽  
Vol 104 (6) ◽  
pp. 559-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Retzler ◽  
Nick Hex ◽  
Chris Bartlett ◽  
Anne Webb ◽  
Sharon Wood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Cost Model ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Uk

ObjectiveCongenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common infectious cause of congenital disability. It can disrupt neurodevelopment, causing lifelong impairments including sensorineural hearing loss and developmental delay. This study aimed, for the first time, to estimate the annual economic burden of managing cCMV and its sequelae in the UK.DesignThe study collated available secondary data to develop a static cost model.SettingThe model aimed to estimate costs of cCMV in the UK for the year 2016.PatientsIndividuals of all ages with cCMV.Main outcome measuresDirect (incurred by the public sector) and indirect (incurred personally or by society) costs associated with management of cCMV and its sequelae.ResultsThe model estimated that the total cost of cCMV to the UK in 2016 was £732 million (lower and upper estimates were between £495 and £942 million). Approximately 40% of the costs were directly incurred by the public sector, with the remaining 60% being indirect costs, including lost productivity. Long-term impairments caused by the virus had a higher financial burden than the acute management of cCMV.ConclusionsThe cost of cCMV is substantial, predominantly stemming from long-term impairments. Costs should be compared against investment in educational strategies and vaccine development programmes that aim to prevent virus transmission, as well as the value of introducing universal screening for cCMV to both increase detection of children who would benefit from treatment, and to build a more robust evidence base for future research.

CEU chief awarded professorship

2008 ◽  
Vol 90 (9) ◽  
pp. 299-299
Author(s):  
Matthew Worrall
Keyword(s):  
Health Services Research ◽  
Clinical Epidemiology ◽  
Surgical Care ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
London School ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Senior Lecturer ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Key Staff

Since 1998 the College has been working in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to understand better the quality of surgical care in the UK, through our Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU). Now the unit has gained further recognition through the promotion of key staff by the LSHTM as Jan van der Meulen, CEU head, has been appointed professor of clinical epidemiology (a new chair) and David Cromwell promoted to senior lecturer in health services research. To mark this, I interviewed Jan on the achievements of the department and on what challenges lie ahead.

scholarly journals Unwaged Posts in UK Universities: Controversies and Campaigns

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Forkert ◽  
Ana Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Creative Industries ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education

This article examines unwaged posts at UK universities, using recent examples of advertised job posts. While unpaid work is common in the UK higher education system, unwaged posts are not. The posts under scrutiny in this article differ from traditional honorary titles as they target early career academics, who are unlikely to have a paid position elsewhere, rather than established scholars. The article contextualizes the appearance of these posts in a climate of increasing marketization of higher education, entrenching managerialism in higher education institutions, and the casualization of academic work. We also discuss resistance to the posts, arguing that the controversy surrounding unpaid internships in the creative industries created a receptive environment for resisting unwaged posts in academia. We analyze the campaigns that were fought against the advertisement of the posts, mostly through social media and the University and College Union. We explore the tactics used and discuss the advantages and limitations of the use of social media, as well as the role of trade unions in the campaigns against these posts, and we reflect on what future campaigns can learn from these experiences.

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