Broadcast: News items

Academic update: October 2024

Posted on behalf of: Internal Communications

Last updated: Monday, 7 October 2024

Academic Update highlights the key priorities for academic colleagues and recent news and updates which you and your teams may find useful.

If there is information you would like included in future Academic Updates, please submit your request to the Internal Comms mailbox.

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Research and Enterprise 

Senior Lecturer awarded €1.47m for unique research on copyright library rejections
Hannah Field, Senior Lecturer in Victorian Literature, has received a € 1.47 million award from the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant for an innovative five-year research project exploring rejections by copyright libraries. The highly competitive awards, which are part of the EU Horizon Europe programme, support researchers at the beginning of their careers to launch cutting-edge research projects in a variety of fields.

Finding Market Opportunities that Matter workshop: Tuesday 5 November
The Innovation and Business Partnerships team invites all academics to unlock new market potential with your research. Register now to join us at the Finding Market Opportunities that Matter workshop at 11.00 am on Tuesday 5 November at Sussex Innovation. Discover strategic paths to commercialise your research using Lean Startup methods, connect with peers, and gain valuable insights to maximise your research’s real-world impact. Don’t miss this opportunity to collaborate and expand your project's influence.

Research Ethics and Governance update
During the forthcoming academic year, the University’s Research Ethics Committees (RECs) will transition to align with Faculties. Dr Bryan Singer, current Chair of the Science and Technology REC will chair one of two Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine RECs, joined by - recently appointed - Dr Valerie Shilling who is currently overseeing the work of the BSMS Research Governance and Ethics Committee. The Faculty of Social Sciences REC will be chaired by Professor Jon Mitchell who is currently overseeing work of the existing Social Sciences and Arts Cross Schools Research Ethics Committee as we proceed with recruitment to the University of Sussex Business School Faculty REC and Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities Chair roles.

Ethical review of low-risk undergraduate and taught postgraduate student research will continue to be signed off by supervisors and School Research Ethics Officers with higher risk applications being signed off at School level by the School Research Ethics Officer in consultation with one member of the Faculty REC.

There will be a period of transition for all of the aforementioned changes and updates will be provided in due course. If you need advice relating directly to an application or ethics query, please continue to contact one of the Senior Research Ethics and Integrity Officers and submit applications in the usual way.

Sussex Digital Humanities Lab call for seed funding is now open
The Sussex Digital Humanities Lab annual call for seed funding is open until 30 November. Staff can apply for up to £2,000 to develop teams or networks, to work on innovative research questions, methodologies, ideas and approaches which broadly related to our remit: critical digital humanities and archives; AI, computational society, and culture; experimental ecologies; and creative computing and play. The work should aim to develop a bid for external funding in the medium to long term. This year’s theme is Data Justice, and priority will be given to projects around this topic. Find out more information and how to apply on the Sussex Digital Humanities Lab website.

Global and Civic Engagement

Global Engagement Launches Round Two of Mahidol Sussex Seed Fund for 2025
Round Two of the Mahidol Sussex Seed Fund, a collaborative initiative with Thailand’s Mahidol University is open for applications until Friday 15 November. The scheme, which focus on building research collaborations between Mahidol researchers and Sussex Centres of Excellence, provides up to £20,000 for three projects addressing global challenges. More information on the application process and fund eligibility is available on the Mahidol Sussex Seed Fund webpage.

Upcoming civic engagement workshops
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement, Robin Banerjee, will be hosting workshops with staff and students this term to discuss possible directions for our civic engagement activities (focused on links through education, research, and community life), drawing in the input we have gained from external stakeholders and partners. More information will be circulated soon, but please email Robin at r.a.banerjee@sussex.ac.uk if you are keen to be involved in the workshops.

Fourth year of Turing Scheme funding for Sussex
Sussex Global Engagement has again been successful for its fourth continuous year of funding under the UK government’s Turing Scheme, the grant funding programme that provides grants for education providers to support their students to pursue study and work placements around the world. The award of almost £600,000 will allow the University to give our students, with a particular emphasis on those from backgrounds of disadvantage, the chance to develop new skills, gain international experience and boost their employability.

New annual Staff Volunteering allowance begins
Please remember that our Staff Volunteering Policy enables all full-time staff on a contract of 12 months or more to take two additional days of paid leave each year for volunteering. Please visit the HR guide for information on how to book your leave.

About you

Staff survey is open - have your say on working life at Sussex
The staff survey - your chance to make your voice heard as we work together to become an employer of choice and build a University for the future - is now open. The survey will now run on a two-year cycle, so it is slightly longer to cover a wide range of topics. The new cycle means that it is all the more important to take this opportunity to have your say. All survey responses will continue to remain completely confidential and no answers or comments will be attributable to any individual. The survey, which should take approximately 15 minutes to complete, will be open until Sunday 20 October.

Book your free flu vaccination
With winter fast approaching, flu season will soon be upon us. As a key public health measure, getting your flu vaccination is more important than ever. Many of you will already have received, or are eligible for, a free flu vaccine. For those not eligible for a free NHS vaccine, we’ve arranged for our Occupational Health Provider, Heales, to offer flu vaccinations at Sussexsport’s Sports Centre in the Activities Room during October and November. Book your appointment today.

Travelling on University business
If you are planning to travel for University business, you are asked to consider the following:

is the travel needed, or can a suitable alternative be explored? i.e. online remote based meetings or conferences

is the travel for an activity which is deemed business critical?

All travel for University business must be authorised in advance by the appropriate Executive Dean, Head of School, Director of Professional Services, or delegated staff member prior to booking or paying for travel or accommodation. Authorisers will review applications for travel in light of the questions above.

Travel insurance - disruption and security advice
If you are travelling on University business and have arranged University travel insurance cover, you will have access to Crisis24 Horizon which provides 24/7 alerts of threats and disruptions, country risk analysis and actionable safety and security advice. Crisis24 Horizon enables staff and students to stay informed of concerns ahead of and during travel.

Download the Crisis24 Horizon app before you travel for advice, security information and to receive alerts for any incidents occurring in your destination country or region. Alerts can be configured by country, proximity, severity and/or category to ensure that you receive the alerts that you need. Visit the University travel insurance webpage for details on applying for Travel Insurance Cover and registering for the app. If you have any questions please contact the Finance Service Desk.

Paperless parking

Campus parking moves to a paperless system from Monday 14 October. If you currently have a paper permit please make sure you register for a digital permit. There will also be changes to visitor and guest parking from 14 October.

About Sussex

VC Open Forum, 9 October from 3.30pm-5pm
The VC Open Forum is happening later this week, on Wednesday 9 October from 3.30pm to 5pm. Sasha will give further information on topics such as student admissions and financial recovery, financial planning, and the upcoming launch of our new Sussex 2035 strategy. She will be joined by Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost Professor Michael Luck to help manage and answer questions.

This will be an in-person event in the Attenborough Centre auditorium, livestreamed for a remote audience. Please register for the in-person event, or use the Zoom link in your calendar invitation to join the event online.

New Division of Library, Culture and Heritage
A new Division has been created at the University, bringing together The Keep, the Library, and the Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts (ACCA). Formed on 1 September, it provides physical space, resource, and expertise to engage with the education, research, civic and cultural ambitions of the University’s new strategy. The new Division, under the direction of Jane Harvell, Director of Library, Cultural and Heritage Services and University Librarian, will seek to open up more campus spaces for the benefit of people from our city and region.

Find out the latest news from the projects and programmes transforming Sussex
The latest issue of the Transforming Sussex newsletter and our photo gallery are now available. Here are just a few of the highlights:

A new and transformed Eat Central has opened, with improved recycling

The latest updates on the Multi-factor Authentication rollout

Take a look at all the places you can grab delicious food on campus this term.

We’re also pleased to introduce this month’s Changemaker – Jane Hyder-Wilson, Change Manager. Find out more about the great work Jane has been doing to help to implement digital improvements. Want to stay updated? Sign up for our mailing list today and be the first to receive future newsletters straight to your inbox.

A reminder

Update your pension details today
On joining the University, you are automatically enrolled to the appropriate pension scheme for you. Your University pension scheme gives you access to a variety of benefits for you and your family, but it is important to keep your details up to date and plan for your retirement early (regardless of how near or far away it might be). Take charge of your future today and review your pension details now. Make sure everything is up to date, including your nominated beneficiaries, and check your savings are invested in the areas that matter the most to you. Simply follow the steps on the Staff Hub and remember to update your details if your circumstances change in the future.