Details:
Name: Susan Burrows / David Walker
Job Title: Senior Research Fellow / X-ray Facility Manager
Staff No: 9678446 / 0484545
Department/Centre/Unit/Faculty: Physics
Departmental Administrator (name): Mark Hadley
Purpose / Objective of the Research Staff Network:
To increase chances for networking by research staff in Physics who are spread over four buildings across campus and are therefore not always aware of the work that there fellow researchers are performing.
To raise awareness of courses run by LDC that may be of interest to research staff in
Physics.
To provide opportunities for research staff to present their work in an informal environment, gaining valuable experience in giving talks.
To provide a forum by which matters such as career development can be discussed in a manner which is relevant to research staff specifically.
Details of the Skills/ Development Activity(ies) (Max 500 words):
A series of lunchtime seminars will be arranged for Physics research staff with the opportunity for networking. Several of the seminars will be given by research staff on their subject of interest, allowing other researchers to learn more about their colleagues work in a friendly environment. In addition, seminars covering topics including career development, skills and leadership will be arranged with speakers invited from both the department and other parts of the university.
Date of your activity/event(s), if known: Five seminars between now and July 2014
If you have a website, please give the URL:
Sandy Sparks, LDC Research Active Staff Network Funding September 2012

Please state which events will be open to other University of Warwick research staff:
Is this a new network or existing network? Existing
Scope/ Evaluation / Impact of activity(ies) proposed
The lunchtime seminars are aimed at between 20-25 research staff; it is proposed that there will be informal discussion after the lunch when opportunities for further events will be considered.
How do you plan to let research staff know about your events/meetings?
Through email, department newsletter and posters.
How do you plan to share the learning / best practice with other University of Warwick Research
Staff Networks?
We will provide feedback to both the Research Staff Forum and the Athena Swan Network
What is the benefit of your activity/activities to:

The University The network will give support to Early Career Researchers, and provide some training and development opportunities in accordance with the Concordat.

Your department/organisation The seminars will increase awareness of the importance of
LDC courses in terms of career development, as well as improving the welfare and communication skills of CRS; this is also relevant when putting together an application for
Juno or Athena Swan awards

Research agenda
The seminars will bring together research staff from different disciplines within Physics, allowing these researchers to learn more about their colleagues work. This networking will lead to new ideas and collaborations being formed; this should further translate into research proposals being submitted.
Total amount of funding requested:
£ 800
Breakdown of funding requested (approximate):
£ 800 Refreshments
£
£
Sandy Sparks, LDC Research Active Staff Network Funding September 2012

*Signature of Applicant: Date: 2nd October 2013
Head of Department’s signature:
Head of Department: ……………………………………………………
(please print)
……………………………………………….…………….… **Signed: Date: ……………………………...
Please send your completed form either in hard copy or electronically to Sandy Sparks
( Sandy.Sparks@warwick.ac.uk
) in the Learning and Development Centre, University House.
If you have any queries, please contact Sandy to discuss (either via email at the above address or on extn 74121).
*You can either sign a hardcopy, scan in your signature or email the application which will be taken as your signature.
**Your HOD can either sign a hardcopy, scan in their signature or send an email to Sandy Sparks stating they support your application.
Approved by: ……………………………………………………..……..….
(for LDC use)
Amount approved: £………………………………………….……………
Date: …………………………….
Sandy Sparks, LDC Research Active Staff Network Funding September 2012

Report:
Funding awards are conditional upon a report being produced after the event or activity which reflects on the value and impact of the activity in order to share best practice. We ask you to do this by completing Part B of this form within 2 weeks of the event or by 31 July 2014 for a series of
events. (Please note that funding may be retracted where reports are not produced).
Please tell us:
 How you felt the event/activity went:
Each event had two speakers, one discussing their research and the other a talk on a topic of interest to researchers including research contracts, teacher training and outreach. They were attended by between 5-15 researchers. The feedback was positive, both from the speakers and the researchers that attended, with a positive and relaxed atmosphere.
 How many research staff were involved in a) The organisational process: 2 – David Walker and Susan Burrows.
and b) Presenting at the event itself: 6 speakers (4 were research staff from Physics) presented at the events with a 50/50 gender split over the course of the three events that were organised.
 How it has contributed to the Department/ University/ Research Agenda:
The seminars brought together research staff from different disciplines within Physics, allowing these researchers to learn more about their colleagues work. This networking has potentially led to researchers having new ideas and collaborations being formed. It also provided an opportunity for the department to inform researchers about the different contracts and rights of researchers within the department (Mark
Hadley’s talk). Through my talk on X-ray facility and its imminent move to a Research Technology Platform, I raised awareness of the facilities work and the universities agenda for central facilities such as X-ray or
Microscopy.
 What has been learnt:
Over the course of the year there were interesting talks from researchers on Magnetism, Astronomy, Physics
Outreach and the X-ray facility. In addition, Mark Hadley from Physics and Jo Anna Reed Johnson from the
Centre for Professional Education spoke about research contracts and teacher training opportunities respectively. The talks were generally well received and each talk was followed by an interesting discussion of the speakers work.
 What would be done differently next time:
The attendance was OK (between 5-20 people) but less than we would have liked. The scheduling of the events could have been improved, as unfortunately the choices of dates conflicted with conferences for some groups, and hence attendance was not as good as it could have been. I would also have done more to advertise them more widely. However, the talks that were given well all interesting and varied, although I would have liked to have found more speakers from the Theory group, but it proved challenging to find volunteers.
Sandy Sparks, LDC Research Active Staff Network Funding September 2012

 Impact/results/benefits:
Three successful seminar sessions were organised with between 5-20 people attending each session. The researchers who spoke got a chance to publicise their work and/or practice their communication skills. The attendees got to meet other researchers from within the department (which can be quite disparate), learn about their work and, in addition, discover subjects which were not directly connected with research but could aid their career development. I have already had one enquiry about using the X-ray facility as a result of my talk on the X-ray facility.
 Budget (provide breakdown of amounts spent):
£ 141.25 (Catering)
£ 116.25 (Catering)
£ 141.10 (Catering)
Total = £398.60
*Signature of Applicant: Date: 23/07/2014
Please send your completed report either in hard copy or electronically to Sandy Sparks
( Sandy.Sparks@warwick.ac.uk
) in the Learning and Development Centre, University House.
*You can either sign a hardcopy, scan in your signature or email the report which will be taken as your signature.
Report received (date): ………………………………..
(for LDC use)
Amount spent: £ ……………………………………
Sandy Sparks, LDC Research Active Staff Network Funding September 2012