Faculty of Medicine,
Dentistry and Health
MEDICINE, DENTISTRY & HEALTH RESEARCH STAFF ASSOCIATION (MDHRSA) MEETING
Minutes: Meeting 80
Date held: Tuesday 2nd April 2013
Chair: Dr Emily Goodall
Present:
Cher Cartwright
Dan Hampshire
Emma Bird
Lucy Lee
Vanessa Singleton
David Drew
Andrew Wigg
Faith Nutter
Joey Shepherd
Sarah Hawtree
Vera Lukashchuk
Maya Boudiffa
1. Apologies for absence
Niki Panagiotaki, Michael Trikic, Daniel Kelly
2. Minutes from previous meeting
The minutes from March’s meeting were signed off – Dan Hampshire
MATTERS ARISING FROM MARCH MEETING
[A] FINANCE ACCOUNT
Andrew traced unexplained payment of £535. Cardiovascular post-doc paid in full for Career
development fund application rather than £200 – Andy to chase this up further.
[B] RESEARCH DAY
Emily still looking for contacts for charities who may wish to have a stall at the research meeting,
please pass on any contacts that you have.
[C] FOCUS GROUP FOR PHD EXPERIENCE
This went ahead not sure if we supplied an extra two PhD students as requested by Kay.
[D] FIXED TERM CONTRACTS
After Ed’s enlightenment about problems with contract dates the ECG want to action this to try
and stop this happening again in the future.
Cher Cartwright, Secretary, MDHRSA
c.s.cartwright@sheffield.ac.uk
[E] STAFF SURVEY RESULTS
Neuroscience researchers have met to discuss the points raised in the staff survey within their
department. Suggested that all post-doc champions meet with their department to discuss. Emily
to put together 10 discussion points in the dropbox, others to add to it. Lucy will compile a
summary report for the next ECG meeting 22nd May. Graham Stafford to be invited to one of our
meetings.
3. Actions
(A) PUB QUIZ
Sell tickets – sold out, well done everyone!
(B) PAYDAY LUNCH
March payday lunch will also double as Ed’s leaving lunch. Venue at the Interval. Michael booked.
(C) RSA FILMING
Joey/Lucy/Niki liaised with Sandrine. Venue booked seminar rooms in the Med School.
Cher/Dan/Shelley agreed to be filmed. Filming went well however no time for hot seat questions
so if we want these for our newsletters/website will have to re-film. They may come and film us
at a coffee morning and at one of our committee meetings.
(D) HEALTH EXPO
1 speaker still to find but other than that all in order. 55 registered to attend so far, all clinic slots
filled.
(E) LOGO COMPETITION
Advertised within departments and via email.
4. Agenda items
(A) NATIONAL SURVEY
Nothing has been formalised yet, should be in place for 8th April. Please encourage researchers in
your department to fill it in. Results are important and give an overall honest view of the University
and of each Faculty.
(B) LOGO COMPETITION
The committee chose 6 logos from those entered. Emily to send this round to the whole committee
and to set up a voting form to choose the overall winner. £30 amazon voucher to the winner.
(C) DEPARTMENTAL CHAMPIONS
It was thought that we needed to make a clear definition of what champions are to do. It maybe that
the role is too big for one champion and some departments may opt for two. Lucy and Dan to liaise
and come up with a list of responsibilities. Points discussed were RSA champions should
communicate with ECG champions, this may need some input from Lucy/ECG to encourage this
communication. Lucy to tell new starters who the champion is within their department and the
champion to conduct a follow up meeting with new starters approx. 3 months after initial induction.
Champions should attend at least 50% of RSA meetings and communicate with their department any
points of interest. Champions should become involved with departments and attend departmental
management meetings.
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(D) DROPBOX
Dropbox folder is post-doc society. To change folder name we would have to start again and re-invite
everyone, maybe this would be a good time to move across to google drive as the University is
encouraging the use of google drive due to encryption policy and data protection. Communication
team to look into this and have a play with google drive and sharing folders.
(E) PAYDAY LUNCH/PUB QUIZ
Pub quiz went well, tickets sold out. There was not enough food for everyone and timings need to be
a bit quicker next time so it doesn’t go on as late. But good turnout and people enjoyed themselves.
Payday lunch again went well and doubled as Ed’s leaving do. Vera to take over sorting Pay day
lunches as Michael is leaving.
(F) LOGO LAUNCH PARTY/INTERNATIONAL FOOD EVENT
10th April PhD students having an international food day in the Heritage rooms, people to come
support this. Need to come up with ideas to launch the new logo. Suggested May payday lunch we
have a pizza party but May payday is half term suggested new date of 4th June. Look at Heritage
rooms as possible venue. Need new pens/stationary/posters to advertise new logo.
(G) MAY NEWSLETTER
Suggestions for next RSA newsletter. Need some happy news in there, so anyone with good news
please let communication team know, those received SURE funding? Introduce new researchers in
each department. Advertise socials. Congratulate winner of logo competition and introduce new logo.
Advertise career development fund. Photos of departmental champions. New pension scheme all
opted in as of April. Do the PhD society want a slot in the newsletter. Old members what they are
upto now, approach Ed in a couple of months, Kathryn Higgins and Julie Preston now in Australia
maybe can contact to see what they are doing now and if RSA helped them.
(H) CAREER DEVELOPMENT FUND APPLICATION REVIEW
All agreed that Vincenzo Leo’s application was fine and we would fund in full £320.
5. AOB
PhD society Representative: Suggested that Sarah should have a regular agenda slot to discuss any
matters arising from PhD society.
Finances: Andrew reported we have in excess of £2800 in the account and we should spend it. Need to
advertise CDF more. Look at setting up post-doc ICE – Intensive Clinical Experience, develop a training
programme with the objective to create a buddy system between a post-doc and an early career
consultant. Post-docs experience clinic and meet patients and the consultant research environment. The
pair to decide the timescale. Emily to write up all her original notes on the programme,
Emma/Sarah/Joey to help.
Monthly Committee Meeting: 7th May, 2-3pm, Faculty Board Room, Barber House
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