September 2011 - University of Portsmouth

Research
& KT News
Issue 3 September 2011
Inside
this edition:
Update from the Director of
Research - Professor Tara
Dean (Page 2)
Funding updates (Page 2)
How we review ethics for
research - David Carpenter
explains (Page 3)
ICG Dark Energy Survey
Conference - Portsmouth
hosts the international
collaboration event (Page 4)
Research conference
reports (Pages 4 and 5)
When research hits the
headlines - Dr Jo Scurr on
the bra crisis (Page 7)
Focus on a Researcher - Dr
Andy Thorpe (Page 9)
Upcoming Research
Conference (Page 10)
University of Portsmouth
major partner in a €7.5miillion
neuroscience project
Faculty of Science researchers, together
with European colleagues, have been
awarded an EU Interreg grant. The Trans-
Channel Neuroscience Network (TC2N)
involves 17 research teams and five
technological infrastructure platforms (core
facilities) from the so-called ‘2 Seas area’ of
the European Union. These include French
teams from Institut National de la Santé et
de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM),
Centre National de la Recherche
Scientifique (CNRS), Universities of Rouen,
Rennes, Brest and Caen; one Belgian team
(Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie,
(Ghent); one Dutch team (Erasmus MC-
Sophia, Rotterdam); one team each from
the Universities of Sussex and Exeter and three teams from the University of Portsmouth.
The overall project leader will be Dr David Vaudry from Rouen. The Portsmouth project
leader will be Professor Darek Gorecki (pictured).
The grant awarded to support this project covers 2011 to 2014 and provides funding to build
cross-border scientific cooperation in the field of neuroscience. The total value of the TC2N
project is more than €7.57 million, of which the EU provides half. The total Portsmouth share
is €2.39 million, making us the second largest recipient of funds in this grant. The 50 per cent
matched funding results from the research time contributions of 25 of our staff involved in the
project from across the Faculty. Our team is composed of academic, research and technical
staff and thus represents the true research effort of the Faculty.
TC2N is designed to be an effective platform for communicating the research developments
and scientific achievements of our consortium to both the international scientific community
and to the local public. It aims to promote a better understanding of neurological diseases
and to explain to the public the role played by scientists in finding new and improved
treatments in our regions. To engage with the general public, we plan a series of
neuroscience road shows. Discoveries with potential commercial application will be
developed further together with the University’s Research and Knowledge Transfer Service,
using their well-established links with industry and businesses.
The first TC2N Project Steering Committee meeting took place on 11 July 2011 in the
elegant setting of the Medical Faculty, University of Lille, France. It was a good opportunity
for team leaders to meet personally to discuss details of collaborative projects as well as to
become familiar with various aspects of project management.
Considering the present difficulties in obtaining external funding, TC2N is an important
element in our research strategy. Judging by the impact of our previous and a much smaller
Interreg grant, we hope that TC2N will give us a great opportunity for a fruitful scientific
collaboration and will become a springboard for obtaining further grants from the EU and
other bodies.
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
1
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts

Update from the Director of Research -
Professor Tara Dean
Welcome to the third edition of Research & KT News. The new academic year is well underway and
the summer break is a distant memory.
There will be busy and testing times ahead. The Research
Excellence Framework (REF) is fast approaching and we are
compiling our response on the draft panel criteria and the
working methods consultation. Putting the REF aside, in my
opinion there are two constants in research – to be quality and
to be agenda-setting. Whatever sort of research you are
carrying out, if the basic quality is high, then money, PhD
students, recognition in your field, REF success, career
aspirations and everything else that is desirable, can follow.
Who is listening to us and who are we influencing with our
research? We want our research to be played out not just on a
local stage, but to set the agenda for the discipline. Most
research is a global business and we must respond to that.
When I started my career, research was a rather personal
occupation and it wasn’t really the done thing to shout about
one’s successes. That’s all changed now, and one of my key
tasks will be to tell as wide an audience as possible about all
the great research success stories at Portsmouth.
Just looking at some of the events which have taken place
since June (page four) demonstrates that we are on a steep
upward trajectory in celebrating our success. Early in
January 2012 we will hold a Research Conference (page ten)
with some recognised national figures in research. I hope we
can demonstrate to them and to colleagues from other
universities the excellent impact of the research at the University
of Portsmouth.
This academic year will be a busy year for all of us. We need to
prepare for the REF. We will need to set the agenda for the
future of our new Research Strategy (2012-2017). We need to
put procedures in place to ensure that submitted research
funding applications are of a high enough quality to make them
competitive against others. We need to ensure our contract
research staff are supported and that we are fully on board with
the principles of the Research Councils UK concordat. We need
to think of innovative strategies to grow our postgraduate
student numbers. We need to increase our external and internal
visibility on the University website...
Lots to do but, as they say be not afraid of growing slowly,
be afraid only of standing still.
Funding update
Awards since June 2011
Faculty of Creative
and Cultural Industries
Dan Pinchbeck
thechineseroom: Commercialisation of
Practice-led, Research Driven
Experimental Storytelling in Games.
Arts and Humanities Research Council
- £95,821.
Portsmouth Business School
Lisa Jack
Improving Performance Measurement
and Managing Risk in Intermediary Food
Chain Businesses.
Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants - £7,519.
Faculty of Science
Andy Gibson
Zhouqu, China Disaster Data Capturing
Modelling and Preliminary Assessment.
Natural Environment Research Council
- £14,554.
Geoff Pilkington
Compound Testing as part of a FASILIS
Voucher Project.
Synovo GmbH - £4,615.
David Loydell
Biostratigraphy of Hot Shales in
Morocco.
EOG Resources UK Limited - £12,500.
Susanne Dietrich
Characterization of a Potential Novel
Biomarker for Muscle Stem Cells.
Association Française Contre Les
Myopathies Spcs - £27,872.
Eric May
SEM Running Contribution.
University of Warwick - £27,872.
Darek Gorecki
EU Interreg Grant
TC2N - £7.5M.
Principal
Investigator
Development
Programme
The University has announced a new
Principal Investigator Development
Programme (PIDP). Initial details are below.
If you would like to be considered for any of
the sessions below, please email
rkts@port.ac.uk.
Research Excellence Framework 2014
19 October 2011, 12.00-14.00
Pathways to Impact
21 December 2011, 12.00-14.00
Fit to bid
22 February 2012, 13.00-15.00
Concordat Overview
18 April 2012, 12.00-14.00
Research Ethics
20 June 2012, 12.00-14.00
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
2
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts

How we review ethics for research
The very mention of research ethics, in the past, could be guaranteed to elicit a groan and accusations
of constraints upon academic freedom and needless bureaucracy. Today, ethical review is fairly well
normalised and plays a key role in funding applications and securing publication. The University has
endeavoured to minimise bureaucratic demands and, in some cases, ethical review results in
methodological improvement and design enhancement.
Basic advice can be found in the University Ethics Policy which
includes a substantial section on the topic of research ethics.
Proportionality is the key concern; all research involving or
impacting upon human subjects (for example, environmental
research) must be reviewed, but many reviews will be light touch.
The Economic Social Research Council (ESRC)’s Framework for
Ethics Research (FRE) provides helpful examples of studies only
requiring minimal review. There are some minor variations across
the University, but as a general rule it is staff research and student
research - above taught postgraduate level - that is reviewed by a
full committee. The review of undergraduate research is usually a
matter of discussion between supervisor and student, aided by a
checklist of typical concerns. Again, the FRE includes an excellent
example of a checklist.
burdensome research can still be ethical; it is equally possible that
research involving few risks and burdens can be unethical. I sense a
gradual shift in attitudes. For far too long researchers have been
defending their studies and justifying human involvement. Surely it
can be argued that there is a moral imperative to undertake
worthwhile research. I have seen plenty of examples of studies
where it would be unethical if they were not undertaken. The very
best research might benefit humanity and researchers have a duty
to conduct it rather than apologise to a REC.
David Carpenter – University Research Ethics Adviser
Each faculty has an ethics committee and the Faculty of Science
has some at departmental level. These committees have remits
which extend beyond research to wider ethical issues, and all report
to the University Ethics Committee. Some research is reviewed
externally; the most common example is NHS research. As a matter
of national policy, all research involving patients and their relatives or
non-professional carers must be reviewed by a NHS Research
Ethics Committee (REC). NHS RECs are also constituted to
undertake reviews required by statute; this includes research
involving mentally incapacitated adults and research involving
human tissue. The University adopts a policy of single review so the
final opinions of NHS REC reviews are logged and no further review
is undertaken.
It is worth noting some important linguistic points. Study protocols
are submitted to a REC for review not approval and RECs give
opinions rather than approvals. Approval can be very misleading.
A REC can, at best, provide a favourable opinion; this means that it
has concluded that if the research is conducted according to the
protocol it will be ethical. Approval implies that the REC has
authorised the research to proceed; RECs do not have such
powers, this is a matter of governance. Any organisation might
have perfectly legitimate reasons for refusing to host research
that has been given a favourable opinion. Obviously RECs can also
give unfavourable opinions and, most commonly, conditional
favourable opinions.
The main concern of a REC is to ensure that full consideration has
been given to the welfare of participants. To over-simplify the
matter, the REC must be assured that participants will be fully
informed of any risks and that their participation will be entirely
voluntary. Further advice and guidance on issues such as
information and consent will be available on the University Research
and Knowledge Transfer website soon. It is not part of the remit of a
REC to evaluate methodology and design, however it is obvious
that poor research will be unethical; if no worthwhile outcomes are
likely then participants’ time will have been wasted and risks might
have been taken unnecessarily. Most RECs look for a sensible
balance between the value of the study and the burdens and risks
involved for participants. It is entirely possible that high risk,
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
3
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts

ESRC Seminar Series -
Post-transitional
fertility in developing
countries: cause and
implications
20-21 July 2011
The Global Health and Social Care Unit, in the School of Health
Sciences and Social Work, has been successful in obtaining funding
from the Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) to lead three
seminars on post-transitional fertility in developing countries. The first
in the series was organised at the University of Portsmouth. It was
coordinated by Dr Saseendran Pallikdavath, University of
Portsmouth; Dr Chris Wilson, University of St Andrews and Professor
Irudaya Rajan, Centre for Development Studies, India. This seminar
was attended by over 30 researchers from UK, India, USA, Vienna,
Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Bangladesh, and Germany. The objective of
the seminar was to discuss causes and consequences of below
replacement level fertility in developing countries.
Some of the eminent demographers from the UK and Europe
delivered lectures on the topic. These included Professor Tim
Dyson, London School of Economics; Professor John Cleland,
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Professor David
Reher, Universidad Complutense, Madrid; Professor Jane
Falkingham, University of Southampton; Peter Richerson University
of California Davis; and Dr Thomas Sobotka, Vienna Institute of
Demography, Austrian Academy of Sciences.
Participants at the ESRC Seminar Series, 20-21 July.
The speakers and organisers provided various perspectives on
post-transitional fertility in developing and developed country
contexts and highlighted that the developing world is fast
approaching below replacement level fertility and that some of the
consequences of low fertility experienced in the developed world
cannot be ignored in the developing world. The second day was
devoted to examining specific issues on low fertility in developing
countries and focused on specific country contexts such as
Bangladesh and Israel. These presentations were followed by
discussions and identification of research questions and strategies.
The seminar identified gaps in knowledge in this field and outlined
questions for future research. Participants expressed interest in
working in collaborative teams to develop research grant applications
on these issues. The University will coordinate such efforts. A
network of participants is already established to continue discussions
on this topic.
The next seminar series will be at the Centre for Development
Studies, Trivandrum, India during July 2012. This will focus on low
fertility in South Asia region and will be a major event. The last and
final seminar will be held at the University of St Andrews during 2013.
UK Cosmo
Conference
12-14 September 2011
The Institute of Cosmology and
Gravitation (ICG) hosted
conferences focusing on the more
theoretical aspects of cosmology.
The national UK Cosmo meeting
brought to town cosmologists from the UK and abroad,
including delegations from Japan and South Africa.
The initial meeting involved 80 people and lasted three
days, covering various topics relating to the physics of the
early universe, such as models of inflation and cosmic
strings. This was followed by smaller workshops that ran
until the end of September, to allow more time for discussion
and collaboration.
ICG Dark Energy
Survey Conference
26 June-1 July 2011
The Institute for Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) hosted
an international collaboration meeting for the Dark Energy
Survey (DES). The meeting was attended by more than
120 astronomers from the 23 DES member institutes,
located in the United States, Brazil, Spain, Germany, and the
United Kingdom.
The Dark Energy
Survey is designed to
help uncover the
nature of the
mysterious ‘dark
energy’ which gives
rise to a repulsive
gravitational force and is causing the expansion rate of the
universe to accelerate. The collaboration is building a new
optical instrument and large digital camera that will be
mounted on the Blanco Four-meter telescope at the Cerro
Tololo Inter-American Observatory, high in the Chilean
Andes. Once complete next year, the collaboration will
spend five years surveying the southern sky.
As one of the first collaboration members, ICG has played a
key role in the development of the survey, helping to purchase
the glass from which the new lenses were made. ICG
members play leading roles in the groups working to exploit
the science results that will be coming from the survey.
While in Portsmouth, collaboration members were hard at
work making plans for analysing the tremendous amount of
data that the survey will provide. However, they did have
time to enjoy our cream tea, an atypical stretch of good
weather, and a banquet held aboard the HMS Warrior.
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
4
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts

Portsmouth Business
School Research and
Knowledge Transfer
Conference 7 June 2011
This successful conference was an ideal opportunity to communicate
the Business School’s research and knowledge transfer activities and
was an excellent way to promote the School, both internally and
externally, as a strong and research-active unit. The day was opened
by Pro Vice-Chancellor, Dr David Arrell, followed by a full programme
of 42 presentations and discussions from research and knowledge
transfer active members of staff, allowing participants (who were a
mixture of University staff and those from local business) an
opportunity to find out about the many varied projects in which the
Business School is involved.
This year, we introduced special streams on the Principle of
Response in Management Education (PRIME) and Responsible
Capitalism and Sustainable Business, plus a plenary session entitled
Make our Knowledge Your Business - Our customers’ view on how
working with the University improved their bottom line, which
included presentations from Mr Rik Prowen, Operations Director, JS
Humidifiers, West Sussex and Mr Michael Lawther, Strategic Director,
City Solicitor, Portsmouth City Council.
During lunch the winners of the Neil Rackham research prizes were
announced as follows:
Winners of the Neil Rackham research prizes.
Research excellence prize £10,000
Dr. Alessio Ishizaka, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Strategy
and Business Systems, for the paper Does Analytical Hierarchy
Process (AHP) help us make a choice? An experimental evaluation,
Journal of the Operational Research Society, 1–12, 2010
(co-authors: D. Balkenborg, and T. Kaplan).
Dissemination of research prize £5,000
Joe Cox, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics, for the
paper entitled Seeders, leechers and social norms: Evidence from the
market for illicit digital downloading, Information Economics and Policy,
22, 299–305, 2010 (co-authors: A. Collins, and S. Drinkwater).
2011 Technology
Research Day
8 June 2011
The fifth Annual Technology Research Day was held to
celebrate the achievements of the Faculty of Technology and
to promote cross-departmental collaboration. The morning
started with a welcome from the Dean - Professor Djamel
Ait-Boudaoud – followed by the first of the newly-established
tradition of a keynote faculty address from newly-appointed
Readers and Professors. Professor Will Percival from Institute
of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) was the first in the hot
seat to explain Mapping the Universe to an audience of over
100 technically-literate faculty members, some of whom were
remembering undergraduate physics to follow the latter
stages of his well-paced address. The morning session also
had updates on Research Excellence Framework
preparations (from the Director of Research, Professor Tara
Dean), The Graduate School (from Director, Dr Darren Van
Laar) and The University Library (from Mr Timothy Collinson
and Mr Andy Barrow – the Faculty Librarian and Institutional
Repository Coordinator respectively).
Over lunch, a PhD student poster competition was judged
by an anonymous Research and Knowledge Transfer staff
member. The winner of the £100 book token was Felix
Hellwig from the Department of Mechanical and Design
Engineering (MDE), for his computer-aided studies of
femoral acebular impingement. The two runners-up
receiving £50 book tokens were James MacMullen, also
from MDE, for his study of hydroxil functionalised poly
di-methylsiloxane and its incorporation into exterior facade
emulsion treatments, and Rafal Szepietowski, from ICG, for
his study of how to map dark matter and Bayesian weak
lens reconstruction.
The afternoon followed a new structure with three parallel
strands, designed to draw together themes across
departmental boundaries. This included presentations
covering materials, environmental technology and the
interface of cosmology with computing. All departments
were well represented and we were especially grateful for
Professor Arthur Butt from the Institute of Biomedical and
Biomolecular Science for breaking Faculty boundaries with a
talk on the similarity of the computing challenges on the
molecular and cosmological scale.
At the end of what was considered a useful day, everyone
retired to the Hub for canapés, prize giving and drinks.
Climate Change Conference 15 September 2011
Industry leaders, local councils, county councils, trusts and interested parties convened in the University’s Portland Building to show their
commitment to the climate change agenda.
This inaugural meeting was spearheaded by the University’s Environment Network (UPEN).
With over 140 people in attendance from the academic sector, industry and support services,
the conference was a great success as it highlighted the ability of local organisations working
in partnership to develop ideas to help reduce the impact of climate change in the region.
More than 75 businesses engaged in the conference. Members will now focus on taking
forward the ideas tabled at the conference and developing effective proposals. If you would
like to be involved please email david.hutchinson@port.ac.uk.
Delegates of the Climate Change Conference.
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
5
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts

Featured website - REF 2014
www.hefce.ac.uk/research/ref
HEFCE’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) website is the
essential guide to all matters and issues arising from the REF.
The site is also an ideal resource for the published standards and
mechanisms that HEFCE will use to assess our submission to the REF.
What does it cover?
It covers information on how REF will be implemented and the
process that will dictate the levels of quality-related funding (QR)
that institutions will receive.
Specifically, it gives guidance on when the organisation should make
its submissions, the category and make-up of the expert panels that
will assess submitted work, information on their equality and diversity
policies as well as the current timetable to implementation.
How do I register myself for a personalised service?
There is no need to register. The REF steering group will be
organising the submissions for the University. In collaboration with
each faculty, work is already underway to bring together the
University’s final submission.
For additional support please contact the Research and Knowledge
Transfer Service on ext. 6191.
Successful PhD students
Since 10 May 2011, the following students have completed
their research degrees:
Faculty of Technology
Ifeyinwa Achumba - Intelligent Performance Assessment in a
Virtual Electronic Laboratory.
Laurence Dunn - An Investigation of the Factors Affecting the
Lifecycle Costs of COTS-Based Systems.
Prina Patel - Weak Gravitational Lensing at Radio Wavelengths.
Shalini Varma Ramlall - Improving Customer Generation by
Analysing Website Visitor Behaviour.
Faculty of Science
Saman Aghighi - Global Coagulation Assays in Haemophilia:
Comparison and Correlation with Conventional Assays and
Clinical Phenotype.
Jamal Al Hameedi Al Ruwaili - Serum Proteomic Analysis of
Prostate Cancer Progression.
Michael Chase - On Being Human in Depersonalised Places: A
Critical Analysis of Community Psychiatric Practice.
David Greenfield - I.K. Brunel and William Gravatt, 1826 -
1841: Their Professional and Personal Relationship.
John Harvey - The Contribution of Molecular Testing for
Histocompatibility in Improving Haematopoietic Stem Cell
Transplant Outcomes.
Jacqueline Ann Hillman - Do Speech Related Hand Gestures
Provide Cues to Deception?
Linda James - Finance, Marriage and the Land: A Comparative
Analysis of Three Estates in Southern England, 1642-1850.
Zakari Makama - Cathodic Delamination of Modelled Sea
Cable Connector Assemblies.
Mark Newton - The Initial Perception of Humidity.
Katharine Anne Peregrin - Sensitivity to and Functional Effects
of Tricyclic Agents on Glioma: An Immunohistochemical and In
Vitro Study.
Susan Mary Rennison - Student Engagement with Formal
Lectures on the MPharm Programme at the University of
Portsmouth.
Kirsty Mhairi Ross - Joyful Expressions in Infancy: Cross-
Species Comparisons.
Kate Thorsteinsson - Emotional Expression in Social
Interactions of Infants with and Without Down Syndrome.
Daljinder Ritu Virk - Sleep Disturbances and Psychological
Functioning in Respiratory Diseases.
Christopher Young - Abnormalities in P2X7 Receptor
Expression and Function in Muscle of the mdx Mouse Model of
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Portsmouth Business School
Salwa Abdullah Alhamoudi - Strategic Knowledge
Management System in Public Sector in Saudi Arabia: An
Adaptation of the Balanced Scorecard.
Ruslan Grigoryev - The Interdependence between Stock
Markets of BRIC and Developed Countries and the Impact of Oil
Prices on this Interdependence.
Hakkyong Kim - Dealing with Crises: A Comparative Study of
Simulation Exercises in Korea and the UK.
Thomas Maddocks - An Industrial Application of the Resource
Based View: Towards a Universal Methodology for Identifying
Core Competencies within an SME.
Vyoma Nalinkumar Shah - Inter-Industry Wage Differentials
and Returns to Education in Pakistan.
Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries
Christopher Jesse - Intelligent Analysis of Aircraft Flight Data
Parameters.
Bongile Mzenda - Computational Intelligence Margin Models
for Radio Therapeutic Cancer Treatment.
Karen Ann Savage - Fading-Feminism-Practice-Process- A
Practice as Research Exploration into the Fade as a ‘cite’ for
écriture féminine.
Edward Philip Smart - Detecting Abnormalities in Aircraft Flight
Data and Ranking their Impact on the Flight.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Stephen Nicholls - The Jews of Leszno 1918:1939: The
Polish-Jewish Dilemma in the Western Borderlands.
Anthony Welch - Security Sector Reform and the Confusion
and Competition Nexus: The Case of Kosovo.
Professor and Reader appointments
The following appointments were recently made:
Professor David Brown, Institute of Industrial Research.
Appointed to position of Professor of Industrial Systems.
Professor Honghai Liu, School of Creative Technologies.
Appointed to position of Professor of Intelligent Systems.
Professor Jim Smith, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Appointed to position of Professor of Environmental Science.
Dr Patricia Pulham, School of Social, Historical and Literary.
Studies. Appointed to position of Reader in Victorian Literature.
Congratulations to you all.
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
6
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts

When research hits the headlines
The University Press Office walks us through a
news story from initial contact to press citation.
The Channel 4 Sex Education Show is a well-known
programme offering advice for young people and teenagers. Its
producers were keen to incorporate a segment on breast health
when exercising and approached the University after hearing
about the work undertaken by the Research Group in Breast
Health headed by Dr Joanna Scurr.
The Research Group in Breast Health was born from extensive
work in the area of breast biomechanics. The aim of the group
is to improve women’s quality of life by broadening the
understanding of the breast and using the information to inform
bra design. The group is about to launch a new initiative aimed
at educating school-age young women on the importance of
breast support so the opportunity was a perfect fit.
What Jo says:
‘Being asked to appear in a
show airing on national
television was a daunting
but exciting prospect and a
timely opportunity to
promote our new
educational initiative. The
Press Office team often field
television enquiries and
handled all the negotiations
on my behalf. A researcher
from the production
company came to the
University to discuss our
research in advance and
see the laboratory where we
carry out our testing.
Girls examine supportive bras.
On the day of filming I was surprised by the number of people
that arrived from the production company, but the crew were
very professional and everyone was very friendly. Our segment
of the show was focused on me delivering a workshop on
breast science to a group of teenage girls. The best part of the
experience for me was seeing the girls in the audience
interested and engaged in breast science. Following the
workshop, the girls commented (on camera) that they had learnt
a lot and that they now recognised the importance of
appropriate breast support. I really felt that our research had
made a difference to these girls, and I hoped that the show may
also highlight this important aspect of women’s health to a wide
range of viewers.
Two weeks after the broadcast of The Sex Education Show, we
presented at the UK’s largest apparel trade show at the National
Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, and were pleasantly surprised to
find that, following the Channel 4 programme, the event’s
organisers had given us top billing. This increased our profile at
the event, boosting our networking opportunities during the two
days and prompting many organisations to approach us.’
What Lisa Egan from the University’s Press Office says:
‘It’s not every day that the Press Office takes a call from a
producer on the UK’s most straight-talking sex education show.
But the Research Group in Breast Health has been gathering
substantial publicity for several years so when the show’s
researchers were looking for someone to talk about breast
health we were their first port of call.
After the initial enquiry came in, we spent considerable time
researching the show and had several in-depth conversations
with the producer. We always weigh up the pros and cons
behind media publicity and don’t automatically say yes to every
potential opportunity. The outlet and the circumstances have to
be right for the academic and for the University and sometimes
we will turn the offer down.
In this case we were happy that Joanna’s expertise was right for
their educational purposes and that the research would be
presented in the right tone. We were particularly delighted that
the subject of the show was a great fit for the research group’s
latest initiative and, after negotiating the terms and conditions
under which Channel 4 would film on campus, we made the
logistical arrangements.
On the day itself, Channel 4 arrived with an entire crew plus
around a dozen teenage girls who would be filmed listening to
Joanna describing how her research reveals that ill-fitting or
poorly supporting bras may damage breast tissue. Filming took
most of the day for what would in fact be a piece lasting
around four minutes, which is always the price to pay for
television coverage.
The feature worked extremely well in a show which is seen by
millions and Joanna was able to send our press release to her
existing contacts giving them a heads up about the show. We
had coverage in national, trade and international press and the
interest generated has more than re-paid the time invested.’
If you need support or help then the Press Office are available to
help you. Contact the team: pressoffice@port.ac.uk.
Our research group has received substantial publicity in the
past, and appearing on national television has boosted the
public and commercial recognition of our research. The
educational initiative, which was launched on the Channel 4
programme, was covered in a number of national newspapers
the following day and following this we received offers of
sponsorship for our educational initiative from the UK’s two
largest lingerie manufacturers. Several companies have offered
us sample bras for use in our research. Additionally, we’ve
received several new enquiries and considerable public interest.
Dr Joanna Scurr (left).
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
7
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts

Finance
For help with the financial aspects of
research or knowledge transfer
activity, contact Research Finance
on ext. 3309.
Grant applications
The University Grants Officers are
here to help with identifying funding
opportunities and the application
process. Contact the Research and
Knowledge Transfer Service on ext.
6191.
Business interaction
The Business Development team
can help match your knowledge and
expertise to business. Contact the
Research and Knowledge Transfer
Service on ext. 6191.
Publicity materials
The Research and Knowledge
Transfer Service can assist you in
writing case studies and getting your
work to a wider audience. Contact
us on ext. 6191.
Press and media
The Press Office can help you get
your work into the media and
support you throughout the process.
Contact the team on ext. 3748.
If you are unsure where to go please
contact Research and Knowledge
Transfer Service on ext. 6191 or via
the website www.port.ac.uk/rkts.
Royal Society International Exchanges Scheme
Sponsors including the Research Councils, The British Academy, The Royal Society, The
Leverhulme Foundation and The Wellcome Trust use a grant application process where all
applications are submitted electronically through the appropriate system.
The set up of these systems mean there is an additional electronic approval layer between
the applicant and the sponsor to allow for the appropriate institutional approval. For
Portsmouth, this is the University’s Finance Department. Please ensure that you allow
appropriate time for this institutional approval to be given. This will include verification of the
finances and ensuring there is support from the applicant’s home department or school.
The individual sponsors give appropriate guidance on this matter and will therefore not
consider any applications where the deadline has been missed even if the applicant has
submitted the application to the institutional approver before the deadline. This is
particularly relevant where some sponsors have a midnight deadline.
For any questions regarding electronic applications please contact the Research and
Knowledge Transfer Service on ext. 6191 or Research Finance on ext. 3309.
Upcoming events
Some of the events you may wish to
attend over the coming months:
EU Funding Day (UKRO visit)
Thursday 13 October 2011
To coincide with the visit of UK Research
Office’s Jo Frost, Research and Knowledge
Transfer Service is organising this event to
provide advice and insight on European
funding for the UK research community.
REF 2014
Wednesday 19 October 2011
Update on the University’s submission
to HEFCE.
Identifying Research Funding
Opportunities
Wednesday 26 October 2011
The aim of this event is to provide a
working introduction to all research
funding services available to academic
and research staff.
Collaborate 2 Innovate 2011
Tuesday 1 November 2011
This is an annual event, now in its third
year, which is dedicated to building
profitable partnerships between
organisations in the Solent region.
Applying for Research Funding
Wednesday 14 December 2011
This workshop aims to provide guidance
and information on best practice and the
support available within the University to
assist researchers in applying for external
research funding.
Pathways to Impact
Wednesday 21 December 2011
How to demonstrate the impact of your
research and find the support available to
you within the University.
Fit to Bid
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Learn how to make sure that you have
everything you need to ensure a speedy
and complete application.
Concordat Overview
Wednesday 18 April 2012
What will the concordat do for you?
Learn from Human Resources the
services that are available to you.
If you would like any further
information on the events advertised
or to book your place please email
rkts@port.ac.uk.
Alan Thorne – new Associate Dean
(Research) for the Faculty of Science
I was appointed as Associate Dean of Research (ADR) for the Faculty of Science on 1
August. I am a Reader in Biochemistry and have spent almost my entire career here at the
University. After completing my first degree in 1973 I stayed on in the Biophysics group as a
PhD student and then as a Postdoc, before becoming a member of academic staff in 1991.
My main research interests continue to lie in the chromatin field, with a particular focus on
‘where’ modified histones are located in the genome, ‘when’ they appear in development
and ‘how’ they regulate gene expression and other events in the cell nucleus.
My new job brings a significant change in direction and I look forward to being involved in
developing the research agenda in the University, though am very much in the learning-theropes
stage. Outside of the University I like to stand in rivers throwing bits of fluff at fish.
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
8
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts

Focus on a Researcher – starter for ten
Professor Andy Thorpe
Professor of Development Economics in
the Department of Economics, Portsmouth
Business School.
Research area:
Development Economics (very broadly!).
Current project titles:
• Rehabilitating Fisheries in Central Asia (with Ben Drakeford
for Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations).
• Doing Drugs in India (with the Global Health research team
in the School of Health Sciences and Social Work (SHSSW)).
• Sport Participation and Academic Success (not really
development economics, but I enjoy working with Martin
Snell, when he’s not on holiday, and more recently Richard
Thelwell in the Department of Sport and Exercise Science).
I am presently trying to put together a project with Richard
Teeuw (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences) and
colleagues at Amsterdam University on socio-economic
vulnerability in the Indian coastal zone for the Economic Social
Research Council (ESRC)/Netherlands Organisation for
Scientific Research (NWo) funding. I have irons in fire with regard
to further fisheries research too.
Why did you become a researcher?
I fell into it. As I can’t sing, dance or play sport to any meaningful
level, the chances of pop stardom and/or displacing Beckham in the
England team were out. Equally, I wanted to do something where I
didn’t have to wear a suit and tie, could work on what I wanted and
when I wanted to, so there weren’t too many options left.
Describe a typical day at work
Arrive in office. Switch on computer to discover 60-plus emails.
Learn I have won 13 lotteries I never even knew I had entered,
am recipient of eight confidential business proposals involving
sums running into millions of dollars from people I have never
met, and discover there are four Ukrainian, two Russian and three
Colombian women very keen to share their life with me. Delete all
these and instead settle down to more mundane issues like
chasing up outstanding annual/major reviews from research
degree students.
Presently I am in almost daily contact with Nicky from Amsterdam
University, sorting out budgets and the like on the India project
proposal, can guarantee that before the day is out a research
degree student will drop by to update me on their research. I
have given over time in the afternoon for the next few weeks to
progress the research with Sasee, Reuben and others from
SHSSW on Indian pharmaceutical distribution.
What is the biggest
challenge you have ever undertaken?
Many moons ago I applied to teach agricultural economics at
postgraduate level at the National Autonomous University of
Honduras – the only problem being that the language of
instruction was Spanish (of which I spoke hardly a word at the
time). Fortunately I survived the experience, though bucked the
challenge of learning Russian vis-a-vis the research I have been
undertaking on Central Asian fisheries over the last four years.
What is your greatest achievement?
Numerous. Holing all eight pool balls directly from the break
(though only did it once). Managing to arrange eight weeks of
rural fieldwork in Honduras around the local football calendar.
Avoiding a forced marriage in Tajikistan. Most recently giving an
hour-long keynote presentation in Spanish to the Mexican
government, environment officials and University lecturers on
the implications of the financial crisis for natural resource
exports in Latin America (I only found out on the day that the
other keynote did not speak Spanish, so I could have spoken in
English as there were translation facilities available).
Who has influenced you most in life and why?
Various – answers to be provided at my inaugural lecture on
Wednesday 5 October.
What are your interests outside of work?
Lewes Bonfire, Sussex cricket, watching the kids play (football,
rugby, surfing, fencing), real ale and long pub walks.
If you could invite any three people to dinner (past or present)
who would it be?
Joe Strummer (lead singer with The Clash), Alexei Sayle
(alternative comedian) and Barbara Castle (post-war Labour
politician). If any couldn’t come then would invite my 13 year-old
daughter Nat, who has a wicked sense of humour.
Professor Andy Thorpe undertaking field work.
Pick five words that you associate the most with research
Fun, relevant, collaborative, thought-provoking, useful.
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
9
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts

University of Portsmouth
Research Conference
25 January 2012
Current Research Issues and the REF
Professor David Sweeney
(Director of Research, HEFCE)
Policy, Practice, Plans and Prospects:
A Four Year View
Professor Rick Rylance (Chief Executive, AHRC)
Developing and Implementing a
Research Strategy that will deliver
world class results
Professor Robert Allison (Pro Vice-Chancellor
Research, University of Sussex)
Lunch and 'Portsmouth Impact' poster viewing
University of Portsmouth Research
Strategy 2012-2017
Research within the Faculties
To book your place please register at
http://bit.ly/r8YsVc.
Alternatively, if you would like any further information
on this event please email rkts@port.ac.uk.
Research and Knowledge Transfer newsletter • September 2011
10
www.port.ac.uk/intranet/rkts