Research Newsletter – Issue 87: Information and Updates
Please click on the headings below for further information:
Welcome to Dr Avril Healy, Research Development Officer for the DCU Business School
We are pleased to have Dr Avril Healy join the Research Development team supporting the DCU Business School. Avril brings over 10 years experience supporting researchers in research funding with both national and EU funding calls. Please contact Avril at avril.healy@dcu.ie
Welcome to Dr Amy Hall, Senior EU Research Development Officer
Amy has recently joined the RD team after five years at Insight@DCU, where she led the Funding Development Team. Working in conjunction with the faculty-based Research Development Officers, the Research Support Team and the Research Project Administration team, Amy will assist applicants across the University in competing for EU research grant bids (primarily Horizon Europe), providing expert advice, resources, and guidance in the preparation of research funding applications. She will also provide information and contribute to the development of Faculty and Institutional strategies to maximise Horizon Europe performance. Interested researchers should reach out to Amy at amy.hall@dcu.ie regarding current and/or future interest in EU research funding to ensure she has a chance to connect you with opportunities and identify the most appropriate supports available.
Please note that the updated Research Integrity webpage is now live.
This resource highlights the suite of revised policies and codes in this area, as follows:
Research Integrity Policy, and associated Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct - development and revision led out by Dr. Katya McDonagh (Research Support) and Dr. Robbie Roulston (OCOO)
Code of Practice on Authorship - revision led out by Dr. Sumona Mukherjee (Research Support)
Code of Good Research Practice - revision led out by Dr. Helen Burke and Dr. Sumona Mukherjee (Research Support)
On the Research Integrity webpage, we detail the key principles of research integrity, along with available research Integrity training at DCU. We also cover the processes around allegations of research misconduct, and who to contact if you have a research integrity query.
Faculty Research Integrity Advocates
In order to promote best practice in research integrity within the institution, each faculty has nominated a Faculty Research Integrity Advocate. These advocates will work as a team with Research Support and the Graduate Studies Office to inform our Research Integrity training initiatives. The inaugural meeting of this group is scheduled for the 6th November, after which we will provide further details of these roles on the website.
ECIU University has launched its R&I Hub, an online environment where you can access:
- expert guidance,
- information about funding opportunities and calls,
- invitations to events and workshops, and
- networking opportunities with researchers from 14 ECIU universities.
The ECIU R&I Hub is open to DCU researchers across all disciplines and career stages. For access to the platform you can register here.
The platform is hosted using the Microsoft Sharepoint environment. We recommend accessing the Hub via your browser. For any technical issues, please contact eciu@dcu.ie.
The Erasmus+ Annual Work Programme 2024, the legal framework for the 2024 E+ programme, has been published. The launch of the Call is expected in November.
Information sessions will be run at European, national, and institutional level over the coming months, providing information and guidance for prospective applicants (see the Event section of this Newsletter for details about an upcoming session on Erasmus Mundus).
A summary of all the programmes run by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) provides a useful overview of the policies and priorities that underpin these funding streams.
Further resources for applicants can be found on DCU’s Erasmus webpage and by contacting DCU’s Erasmus+ Development Officer Dr Sophie Ball.
This month, DCU became a paying member of The Conversation, an online publication with a monthly readership of 11.6 million, through its own site and republications. The Conversation commissions high-quality pieces centred on new research and global issues from academics from institutions across the world. Pieces are edited in collaboration with editors and aren’t published without the author’s final approval.
Anyone interested in pitching should contact conor.donovan@dcu.ie or (for FSH) sean.duke@dcu.ie. Alternatively, authors can pitch directly via the site. In either instance we can provide guidance to maximise the potential of your pitch!
In addition to editorial support, DCU academics have access to media training sessions, the details for which Communications and Marketing will circulate in due course.
Part of the role of the PPI Ignite Network at DCU is to provide advice and support for Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) in health and social care research. Support can be requested by submitting an email to ppi@dcu.ie.
To help research teams (e.g. researchers, patients, members of the public, partners, clinicians) contacting us for support, particularly during the development of grant applications or research proposals, the PPI Ignite team have developed Support and Advice Guidelines for Grant Applications and Research Proposals.
SFI has announced the launch of the Sustainable Laboratory Certification Pilot Programme, which will be delivered in partnership with My Green Lab. This pilot programme will support up to 100 labs, maintained by SFI Principal Investigators (PIs) / Funded Investigators (FIs) and their research groups, to participate in the My Green Lab certification process. SFI will support the cost of participation in the programme.
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are invited from PIs/FIs in receipt of SFI funding who would like to participate in the pilot. The pilot certification programme will be split into two tranches consisting of approximately 50 labs each.
EOIs for consideration in the first tranche of the pilot should be received by 1pm, 7th November 2023. EOIs for consideration in the second tranche of the pilot should be received by 1pm, 31st January 2024.
Typically, labs will be certified within 6–9 months of starting the process.
For more details, please visit the SFI website here.
Contact: ecaterina.mcdonagh@dcu.ie
Enterprise Ireland (EI) have updated Staff Costs in their Horizon Europe Coordinator Support grants. The updated guidelines are now available on the financial supports page on EI’s Horizon Europe website.
Key changes to Staff Costs are:
- The two categories, Research/Admin Support and Teaching Replacement are now merged into one category.
- The previously-used fixed rate of €170 per day for Research/Admin Support and €200 for teaching buy-out is now replaced by a blended rate of €260 per day, which should be used for budgeting for both Research/ Administrative Support and for Replacement Teaching Expenses. Project staff can be reimbursed at a daily rate commensurate with experience and in line with IUA salary scales. Note that in the event of an audit, institutions will be required to make available evidence of appropriate justification for the rate of pay. Only actual expenditures incurred and paid can be claimed.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a call for expressions of interest (Ref. EFSA/WG/NANO/2023/01) for Working Group Experts in Nanotechnologies.
This opportunity is open to experienced, independent experts with relevant scientific expertise in nanomaterials/nanotechnologies and a motivation to contribute to the work of EFSA through participation in its working groups.
The deadline for applications is 30th October 2023.
Further information, and the online application form can be found on the EFSA website.
If you have any questions, please contact selection.experts@efsa.europa.eu.
DCU's Professional Skills for Research Leaders Programme (PSRL) is a blended-learning programme for Postdoctoral researchers and early-career academics to help enhance research leadership, management, and engagement skills.
This programme will help develop a career strategy in a broader research context. On successful completion of this programme, the learner will be able to:
- recognise steps to take to keep their careers on track
- advance their grant writing skills
- build their capabilities as a team leader
- navigate DCU's research support structure and funding landscape
- establish and maintain fruitful research collaborations
- develop their research communication skills in a variety of capacities
Introduction Workshop:
Find out more by registering here for the Introduction Workshop: Getting the Best from the PSRL – Tuesday, 14 November 2023, 10:00 to 11:00 am
Full Programme:
The full programme consists of optional workshops that are chosen after the Introduction Workshop:
- WORKSHOP 1: Developing and Consolidating Your Research Career – 30th November 2023
- WORKSHOP 2: Developing Your Research Funding Plan – 24th January 2024
- WORKSHOP 3: Grant Writing – 7th February 2024
- WORKSHOP 4: Managing a Research Team – 7th March 2024
- WORKSHOP 5: Research Collaborations – 15th May 2024
- WORKSHOP 6: Communicating Your Research – 13th June 2024
Fee: €100 charged to your school or research centre.
If you have specific questions on the PSRL, please contact learning.development@dcu.ie.
The first three research talks in this series took place on 12th October and were a great success! The recorded talks will be available on the Eventbrite page.
The final talk will take place at 9am, 3rd November 2023, with Prof. Li Wei from University College London.
Thank you to everyone who registered.