News: November 2015

Bangor University to reward outstanding impact from its research and enterprise activities

Twelve projects at Bangor University have been shortlisted for the University’s third annual Impact and Innovation Awards 2015, supported by Santander Universities.

These prestigious awards at Bangor University recognise and celebrate the recent impact that the University’s research, innovation and enterprise activities have on the wider economy and society. This year, the University is also introducing a new award category, Outstanding Contribution to Wales, to recognise activities that have led to impact of national significance in Wales.

Publication date: 27 November 2015

University research showcased at event celebrating social sciences in society

Case studies from Bangor University are featured in a new publication which celebrates research undertaken by social science researchers in Wales. ‘Making the Case for the Social Sciences 10: Wales’ is published by the Academy of Social Sciences as part of its Campaign for Social Science.

The publication comprises 14 case studies of research carried out by Welsh institutions which have influenced national and international governments, as well as highlighting the benefits of social science research on public policy.

Publication date: 27 November 2015

New report urges governments to review the duty of collective worship in schools

The vast majority of state schools in the UK are required by law to organise acts of daily collective worship (England, Northern Ireland, Wales) or religious observance (Scotland) for their pupils. The majority of collective worship acts during any school term must be of a 'wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character’, be concerned with ‘reverence or veneration paid to a divine being or power’ and ‘accord a special status to Jesus Christ’.

A multidisciplinary research team led by Dr Alison Mawhinney (Bangor Law School) has examined this duty and, at an international conference held this month, launched a report which urgently recommends that governments in the UK re-examine the obligation. 

Publication date: 25 November 2015

NERC Doctoral Training Partnership : ENVISION studentships 2016/17

Publication date: 24 November 2015

Early research findings show Wales' Child & Adolescent Health falling short of standards

Wales’ Child and Adolescent Mental health services fall short of standards according to early research findings (17 November).

The findings were reported at the launch of Observatory@Bangor, the North Wales branch of the Wales Observatory on the Human Rights of Children and Young People, based at Bangor University Law School.

Publication date: 17 November 2015

Welsh children’s report to United Nations is a first

School pupils from three primary schools across north Wales (Beaumaris Primary School, Southdown Primary School, Buckley and Hiraddug Primary, Dyserth)  were invited by Bangor University’s Law School to formally launch their report "Lleisiau Bach Yn Galw Allan / Little Voices Shouting Out" (17th November). This is the first time the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has received a report drawn up by 7-11, based on their own research.

Publication date: 17 November 2015

Making Data Available for Research

SAIL and NWORTH Agree Strategic Collaboration

SAIL (Secure Anonymised Information Linkage) and NWORTH (The Bangor Clinical Trials Unit, part of the University’s School of Healthcare Sciences) have agreed to work together in a collaborative partnership. SAIL is a Wales-wide research resource focused on improving health, well-being and services

Publication date: 13 November 2015

Bangor University research into access to rare disease medicines

New research from Bangor University, shows that patients with rare diseases often experience a challenging journey that poses difficulties for the National Health Service. Researchers at the University's Centre of Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation at the University's School of Healthcare Sciencesfound that patients often face difficulties in diagnosing their condition, accessing specialist care, and having effective treatment available.

Publication date: 12 November 2015

Open lecture on the Creation of the Czech vernacular liturgy in Budapest

Hana Vlhová-Wőrner gave on 9. 11. 2015 in Budapest, the Calvinist Reformed Church (Budai Református Egyházkőzség), an open lecture on the creation of the Czech vernacular liturgy in the early fifteenth century. 

Publication date: 10 November 2015

How trillions of tiny solar panels could power the internet of things

This article by Jeff Kettle,  ‎Lecturer in Electronic Engineering,  was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Publication date: 9 November 2015

JSPS Summer Programme 2016 for MPhil or PhD students

Publication date: 9 November 2015

CERQual: A new approach for supporting the use of qualitative evidence in decision making

A new paper published in PLOS Medicine describes an innovative and transparent approach for assessing how much confidence to place in findings from qualitative evidence syntheses.

The new approach, known as CERQual (‘Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research’), is designed to help decision makers use qualitative evidence for decisions and policies about healthcare and social welfare.

Publication date: 6 November 2015

Can we use eDNA as an ‘environmental magnifying-glass’?

An innovative idea submitted by Bangor University has been selected as one of eight projects selected within four “idea” areas to be funded by the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) new “Highlight Topic” research funding stream.

Based on their research, the scientific community were invited to subject project areas which would place environmental science at the heart of the sustainable management of the planet.

“Environmental DNA: a tool for 21st century ecology”, the new idea suggested by Bangor University in collaboration with other academics and stakeholders, was among around 150 submissions. The successful project will assess how we can use new genetic techniques to measure biodiversity.

Publication date: 2 November 2015