Weekly Update

Every Story Matters - UK Covid-19 Inquiry

We will be hosting an event in partnership with the ESM team to give participants the opportunity to discuss how Covid-19 impacted them as a LGBT+ person. We would like to extend the invite to our University community to participate and tell their story. Students can book a place through our microsoft office form. 

Numbers are limited to 32 and spaces will be allocated based on time of registration.

Date:    9am – 3pm Friday 24th January 2025

Venue:    Seminar Room, Wellcome Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast

Fee:   £400 (to include all refreshments, lunch and study materials

Booking Link:   Products - Queen's University Belfast

ASSESS is pleased to offer a brand-new training course which introduces life and health science innovators to the role of

Early Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in their commercialisation journey.

There are revolutions in health care everywhere you look; from Artificial Intelligence, to gene therapies and robotics, tomorrow’s world is today. However, many of these innovations

do not reach patients because health care systems are unable or unwilling to pay what innovators demand. When patients do get access, it is often months or years after the technology

is licensed, undermining the commercial viability of the companies that develop them.

In addition to meeting the evidentiary demands of regulators like the MHRA, EMA and FDA, innovators must convince health technology assessment

agencies like NICE, HAS, and iQWIG that their product good value for money to achieve market access. Equally, investment is harder to come by, and start-ups have to show investors the clear line of site between their activities and the likelihood of commercial success.

Early Health Technology Assessment helps innovators understand the new world of life sciences commercialisation, and design their research and development programme for success.

In this comprehensive one-day course, through a mixture of traditional lectures, practical exercises and group discussions, participants in the ASSESS EHTA course will leave with the

knowledge and tools required to address the question 'How do I demonstrate to health care funders that the value of my innovation justifies a commercially attractive price?’

• What Health Technology Assessment is
• How HTA relates to health technology regulation
• The key techniques of HTA and how to use them
• How to use these techniques to inform and de-risk their translation and commercialisation journey.

Course Facilitators

Professor Christopher McCabe CEO, Birota Economics Group UK Ltd. Professor of Health Economics, Queens University Belfast

Dr. Janet Bouttell, Research Fellow in Health Economics, Nottingham University Hospital Trust.

Join Queen's International Student Society to embrace Armenian culture by learning traditional Armenian dance.

This is workshop is welcome to everyone, just pop head to TR2 at the Graduate School at 6pm on January 30th. 

The completion of this survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes, and your responses will remain anonymous.

By completing the survey, you will have a chance of winning one of forty £25 gift vouchers in the prize draw.

Check out the survey, here.

Further information on the research is provided prior to starting the survey and you will be asked to provide your online consent to take part. If you have any questions, please get in touch via email to: myavuz02@qub.ac.uk

Location: Graduate School, Room TR1

Schedule

• Thursday 16 January 2025, 3:30pm – 4:30pm
  Preregistration 101 – making it easy
• Thursday 6 February 2025, 3:30pm – 4:30pm
  Why we need replications of our science
• Thursday 20 March 2025, 3:30pm – 4:30pm
  Benefits of open software: using R as an example
• Thursday 1 May 2025, 3:30pm – 4:30pm
  Open Science for qualitative methods

They are online!
MS Teams: ReproducibiliTea at Queen's Belfast
Open Science Framework
Contact: Dr. Joost Dessing (j.dessing@qub.ac.uk)

🔹 Compete in the Pecha Kucha Style format (20 slides, 20 seconds per slide).
🔹 Share your vision on the theme Dare to Change.

🔹 Communicate your research with impact.

🔹 Develop your presentation and storytelling skills.

The winner will deliver their talk at TEDx Black Mountain!

💡 Submit your idea by 5pm 7 February 2025: A compelling title and a 200–300-word summary that aligns with the theme Dare to Change

✨ Don’t miss this unique opportunity to bring your ideas to the TEDx stage!

Submit your entry here: MS Forms

Find out more about TEDx Black Mountain here: tedxblackmountain

What is Pecha Kucha? Disseminating your Research: PechaKucha

#TEDxBlackMountain #DareToChange #PostgraduateOpportunities #QueensUniversityBelfast

• women’s health services provision    
• women’s priorities for women’s health    
• barriers to accessing health services and how could things be better   
• how women’s voice is integrated into women’s health care services   

Training sessions are delivered via a virtual classroom, many on weekday evenings between 7pm-9pm, but with some additional daytime sessions.

The series is organised and administered by Dr Simon Watts (simon.d.watts@uea.ac.uk), PGR Training Coordinator for the Faculty of Social Sciences at UEA, who also teaches Modules 1 to 4. Module 5 is taught by Dr Kimberley Bartholomew from the School of Education at UEA.

The training has been organised into five modules, each focused on a specific area/topic. Students don’t have to attend a whole module, however, and are free to sign up to individual sessions. The modules and individual sessions for 2024/25 are as follows:

Module 1:

Academic Writing

(1) What Should a Literature Review Do?

(2) Writing Effectively

(3) Academic Publishing

(4) Writing & Structuring an

Effective Thesis

Module 2:

Qualitative Research Skills

(1) A Comparison of Qualitative Methods

(2) Qualitative Interviewing

(3) Analysing Qualitative Data

(4) Using NVivo for Qualitative Research

Module 3:

Finishing your PhD

(1) Preparing for your Viva

(2) Securing a First Academic Post

(3) Preparing Impactful Research Proposals & Grant Applications

(4) Conference Presentations

Module 4:

Teaching Skills

(1) Preparing & Delivering Seminars

(2) Preparing & Delivering Lectures

(3) Assessment, Feedback,

& Module Design

Module 5:

Quantitative Research Skills

(1) Quantitative Research: A Basic Guide

(2) An Introduction to Scale Development

(3) An Introduction to Structural Equation Modelling

Booking

The training series uses an automated booking system called ‘Bookwhen’. The landing page on this site provides information about how to book, waiting lists, the possible addition of extra sessions, how to access and set up the Electa-Live virtual classroom software, which is used to host the sessions, and how to cancel a booking should that become necessary.

Please visit the booking website and read all the information provided. If you have any problems, you want to ask a question, or there is anything you don’t understand, please feel free to e-mail simon.d.watts@uea.ac.uk and/or ssf.advancedtraining@uea.ac.uk and they will do their best to help.

The value of a DAERA postgraduate studentship

A full DAERA award includes the cost of approved fees as well as maintenance support. In academic year 2024/ 25 the maintenance allowance for a research studentship is £19,237. Allowances for 2025 are to be confirmed. 

DAERA pay fees directly to your university. Other expenses which may be covered are:

• conference expenses if you are presenting your research
• Research Training Support Grant – paid by DAERA to your study centre
• overseas fieldwork – DAERA may contribute to costs where it is essential to your research programme

These awards are not affected by your parent’s income or your current income, but if you are receiving similar support from industry or a university, you may not be eligible for a studentship. 

For more information, check their website.

or apply for a DAERA postgraduate studentship at:

• Application for DAERA Postgraduate Studentship 2025(external link opens in a new window / tab)

Through a large team of freelance Support Providers, The Register of Support Providers at Queen’s supports disabled students across a number of different roles.

The Register is currently seeking to engage additional Support Providers for the new academic year across a number of different support roles including as Campus Assistants, Academic Mental Health Tutors, Note Takers and exam assistants to support students with disabilities / long-term conditions across the University. 

The Register is particularly keen to engage STEM subject Note Takers (£15 per hour) capable of taking notes in subject areas such as Computer Science, Engineering (all strands - Electrical, Civil, Chemical, Aerospace), Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing etc .  Individuals will also be required for Specialist Campus Assistant roles (£17 per hour) to support students in practical / laboratory settings and with using particular statistical packages such as SPSS etc.

Further information about the Note Taker and other support roles may be found on the main Queen's website.

If you would be interested in joining the freelance team (interviews anticipated August / September), please complete / return the following Expression of Interest form as soon as possible to supportprovider@qub.ac.uk

As you will be working on a freelance / self-employed basis (ie not paid via QWork), there are no restrictions in relation to the number of hours worked per week.  Unfortunately however, if you are residing in the UK on a student visa (previously Tier 4 student visa), you cannot work on a self-employed basis so we would not be able to progress your Expression of Interest on that premise.

If you have any queries at all (about the type of work involved, nature of engagement, payments etc) please contact Kirsti, Disability Support Manager at k.alexander@qub.ac.uk

You can find the current list of available roles here.

Emily Sarah Montgomery Travel Scholarship and Sir Thomas Dixon Travel Scholarship

The key points to note for this round of travel scholarships are:

• These travel scholarships can be used to fund travel that will occur between 11 January 2025 – 6 June 2025 (outbound travel must have occurred within these dates).
• The student application form can be accessed here.  The deadline for student applications is 4pm on Friday 21 February 2025.
• The School Reference Form can be found here. Applicants have been asked to forward this link to the School Reference Form to their School referee (supervisor, advisor of studies etc.) along with a copy of their application. Students receive a clear guidance (in their application form) about the School reference process. The deadline for colleagues submitting the School Reference Form is 4pm on Friday 21 February 2025. Please note that if you would like to set an earlier deadline for the student applications to give your staff more time to complete the references, please communicate this with the students in your School.

William and Betty MacQuitty Travel Scholarship

The MacQuitty Scholarships were established in 1999 to provide travel funds for Queen's Postgraduate Taught/Research students.  Applicants must be planning to travel overseas to further their education, and they must explain how their proposed trip demonstrates the principle "travel broadens the mind”. 

• Ten awards of up to £1,000 are available annually. An additional prize of £300 may also be awarded for the best travel report. 
• Preference may be given to applicants whose travel involves study of global environmental issues or medicine. 
• Application forms can be found here.
• School Reference Form can be found here.
• Further information can be found here.
• Deadline: Tuesday 4 February 2025 at 5pm

This year the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund (CCSF) award competition ha opened for submissions from all Canadian students pursuing full-time, multi-year postgraduate programmes in any field of study in the United Kingdom and will be entering their second year of study in the academic year 2025-26.

Further information and details on how to apply may be obtained from the CCSF website and 
eligibility requirements & FAQ.

A symposium you're keen to curate, or a cultural celebration that would bring the postgraduate community together?

Then you should apply to host a Postgraduate-Led Initiative and receive up to £400 funding from the Thomas J. Moran Graduate School.

You'll gain experience in project management, working with budgets, and showcase your leadership skills when you successfully carry out your own Postgraduate-Led Initiative.

And you can apply for your own Postgraduate Led Initiative here.

You might like the idea of befriending an older person; campaigning on humanitarian issues; fundraising for a local charity or getting involved in conservation in urban areas, whatever you’re passionate about we will be able to find the perfect volunteering opportunity for you.

If you know you want to do something but you’re not quite sure what, never fear, we will be able to provide you with a range of volunteering options and just know something will spark your interest!

Discover more on the Student Union website.

Thomas J Moran Moran was a renowned businessman and humanitarian who acted as Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast until his death on August 19 2018.

Mr Moran was formally inaugurated as Chancellor of Queen’s on Thursday 2 July, 2015. At a special installation ceremony in the Great Hall, the Vice-Chancellor, the late Professor Patrick Johnston, referred to him as “someone who shares our passion for education” who “recognises the transformative effect it has on the world around us.” It is for these same reasons that he is a fitting person to be honoured in the official name of The Graduate School. Read more about him here.