| Message from the Research Staff Office |
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Hello Everyone,
Welcome to the final issue of the Sussex Researcher for this academic year. We've had a very busy year in the Research Staff Office and it was great to finish off our programme with the Spotlight celebration of postdoctoral research at Sussex Impact day.
During the summer we'll be working hard to plan our initiatives and events for the next academic year, as well as taking a bit of a summer holiday, so we will be back in September with our next newsletter. Of course, as always we welcome your feedback and suggestions of how we can improve your experiences and professional development. Please drop us an email at researchstaffoffice@sussex.ac.uk and we'll try our best to incorporate your suggestions into next year's programme.
Best wishes and have a good summer,
Natalie James and Catherine Pope (Research Staff Officers) and Alex Aghajanian (Researcher Development Coordinator)
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| Events |
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At this time of year we have a break from training and development workshops and are working hard to put together the programme of events for the next academic year.
The 2016/17 Research Staff Development Series programme information will be available towards the end of August and bookings for autumn term events will open at the beginning of September.
Thank you to everyone that participated in the events this year and contributed to the continuing success of the programme.
As always please do get in contact with any feedback, we're happy to receive your suggestions regarding events you would like to see in the programme, email us at: researchstaffoffice@sussex.ac.uk.
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| Spotlight on Dr Lamia Heikal |
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 Research Fellow in Pharmacology and Vascular Biology at Brighton and Sussex Medical Hospital
The aim of our study is novel; we know the drugs work more effectively within the body so we want to try to treat endothelial cell repair locally
Endothelial cells are present on the inner walls of blood vessels and keep the vessels healthy. Through cardiovascular disease, these cells become damaged and don't function properly. This can lead to side effects such as the deposition of fats in blood vessels which leads to the narrowing of the blood vessels, known as atherosclerosis. Repairing these damaged cells is the key to effective treatment of cardiovascular disease.
This treatment would treat the cause of the disease, rather than just the symptoms. It should improve the health and lifestyle of people with cardiovascular disease, or any other disease which requires treatment of damaged and injured cells, and could also decrease costs for the NHS.
I would like to continue with my research and in the future become a lecturer because I like teaching, it really helps you to communicate with different people.
Read Lamia Heikal's Spotlight Profile here.
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| News |
| Promotions Success for Sussex Research Fellows |
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The outcomes of the 2016/17 promotions round have now been communicated and it has been an excellent outcome for Sussex Research Fellows. This year the number of applications from Research Fellows was three times higher than the previous year, with communications and workshops ensuring that there was greater clarity around eligibility and expectations for promotion applications from researchers.
The success rate of research fellow promotion applications was 89%, 10 percentage points higher than the overall average success rate of 79% (includes; teaching fellow, academic teaching faculty, research fellow promotions).
Many congratulations from the Research Staff Office to everyone that was successful with their promotion application this year.
The next round of promotions will open for applications later this year. In the autumn we will be running more of our popular promotions workshops and will send further information and tips about the process in our autumn newsletters. If you would like further information about the promotions criteria and process please take a look at the research fellow promotions pages.
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| Researchers in the Spotlight @ Sussex Impact Day |
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 Thank you to those of you that participated in and attended the Spotlight @ Sussex Impact Day session on 13th June.
All eight speakers gave excellent and engaging talks, having just 7 minutes each to tell the story of their research. The audience were taken on a journey of Sussex research from investigating the complexities of our own consciousness and memory, the use of mobile technology to aid cancer recovery (also involving mini Easter eggs), exploring the role of brokers in migration, to a 'sting operation' on predatory publishers.
See the Sussex Impact Day Storify for social media reactions from the event and take a look at the photos from the day.
 The feedback from audience and speakers was very positive and we are already starting to plan for the next Spotlight event, potentially in collaboration with University of Brighton, so watch this space and get planning for your 7 minutes in the Spotlight.
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| Appraisals 2017 - Make sure you have yours... |
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The time of year has come around again when you should participate in an appraisal meeting. Appraisals generally take place between May and August each year, but may vary depending on your School/Department's processes.
The annual appraisal is an opportunity to reflect on and discuss the progress you have made in your research and career development over the course of the year. It is also a chance to have an open discussion with your appraiser about how you would like to develop your career over the forthcoming year and beyond.
The appraisal focusses equally on your work objectives and career development objectives and you should ensure that you make time to discuss both during your appraisal meeting.
All research staff should be appraised using the forms that are available to download at the link below.
Download the research staff appraisal documents and guidance here.
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| Science on the Seafront - Brighton's first Soapbox Science Event |
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 Make sure you pop along to Brighton Seafront on Saturday 29th July from 1-4pm for the first ever Soapbox Science Brighton.
12 STEMM women (including a number of Sussex researchers) will be sharing their passion with both locals and tourists for an afternoon of discussions, debates and demonstrations. Hosting experts of science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine, the event will demonstrate the breadth of research taking place in and around the region by female researchers, all while you tuck into an ice cream...just watch out for those seagulls!
The event is free and is taking place at: The Deck, Brighton Seafront, BN1 2FN (just east of the i360).
For the full line up of speakers and more information take a look at the Soapbox Science Brighton webpage and/or follow the event on twitter @soapboxBN.
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| Introducing....Alex Aghajanian, Researcher Development Coordinator |
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 A warm welcome to our new Researcher Development Coordinator, Alex Aghajanian, who joined the Research Staff Office (RSO) team on 10th July.
Alex will be responsible for coordinating all the RSO workshops and events and will work alongside Research Staff Officers, Natalie James and Catherine Pope, on projects and initiatives to support Sussex researchers, so you can expect to hear from him via emails and you will meet him when you come along to our 2017/18 events.
Alex knows the University well, having graduated from Sussex in January 2017 with a Masters in International Relations from the School of Global Studies.
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| Opportunities |
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If applying for funding, remember to check funders' eligibility criteria carefully and discuss the opportunity with your host institution/department prior to preparing any applications.
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| Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science |
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 This recognises early-career scientists and engineers who demonstrate excellence in their contribution to public engagement with science activities. The award comprises USD 5,000, and a complimentary registration and reimbursement for reasonable hotel and travel expenses to attend the association's annual meeting.
Deadline for Applications: 15th August 2017
More information
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| Research Grants |
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 These support innovative ecological research and pump-priming projects, as well as helping early-career ecologists to establish an independent research career. Grants are worth up to £20,000 each.
Deadline for Applications: 11th September 2017
More information
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| Independent Research Fellowships |
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 These aim to develop scientific leadership among early-career environmental scientists, by giving them five years' support for developing their research programmes and to gain international recognition. There are no funding limits.
Deadline for Applications: 3rd October 2017
More information
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| Research and Partnership Call for the Next Generation of Immersive Experiences |
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 This aims to develop a research programme to bring together organisations within the creative economy with researchers from both the arts and humanities communities and beyond. The total budget is £1.88 million, and individual projects are worth up to £75,000 each over six and nine months.
Deadline for Applications: 5th October 2017
More information
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