Staff Newsletter 10 May 2024
- Annabel Jackson (Deactivated)
Important Information
Reminder: Training available! Responding to Students in Distress
When: Thursday 16th May, 10:00 - 12:30
Location: Biology building, B/B/006
Following the success of last year's training exploring how staff can positively respond to students in distress, the Science Faculty Student Wellbeing Team will be delivering the session again on the 16th of May. The session explores a wide range of issues that staff may encounter with students and positive ways to respond. We aim to boost your confidence when supporting students in often challenging circumstances and the training is open to all staff.
If you would like to come along, please complete the registration form.
If you would like to find out more about the training, contact Robert Bennett, our Student Wellbeing Officer, who will be co-delivering the training (robert.bennett@york.ac.uk).
Department Events
Professorial Inaugural Lecture Series - Latest recording and next lecture
Many thanks indeed to Profs. Sarah Bridle and Andy Dougill for delivering two fantastic lectures this week on their respective career paths and future plans. If you were not able to join us, you can click to following link to watch the recording of the Prof. Inaug. Lecture No. 4.
The next and final installment of the 23/24 series will be held on Thurs 30 May, 15:00-16:00 in ENV/005, followed by refreshments in the Foyer. There we will hear from Profs. Lindsay Stringer and Claire Hughes.
If you need the Google calendar invite to be resent, do let Chloe know (environment-pa@york.ac.uk). We hope to see you there!
Other Events
CEDHE Annual Forum
Date / Time: Thursday 23rd May, 10:00 - 15:15
Location: Online
The CEDHE (the education committee of the Institution of Environmental Sciences) Annual Forum (free) takes place online on Thursday 23rd May (10.00 - 15.15). The focus this year is on Innovating Environmental Science Education, with sessions on Skills for sustainability, Climate anxiety and optimism, and Communicating environmental science. You can register here.
Pint of Science is BACK!
Next Monday-Wednesday (13th-15th May) Pint of Science is taking over various venues in York including Fulford Arms, FortyFive Vinyl Cafe, Red Goat and The Winning Post to talk all things science. There will be talks on tropical parasites, sleep and speech, climate change, AI and games like Dungeons and Dragons.
There really is something for everyone to enjoy in a relaxed, informal environment
Buy your tickets (only £5!)
Conference invitation: Carbon and Biodiversity credits
Date: 17-18 July
Location: University of Lincoln
Following the success of the inaugural conference in 2023, the ‘Second Annual Conference on Nature-based Solutions using Carbon and Biodiversity Credit Funding’ will take place on the city centre campus of the University of Lincoln, UK on 17-18 July 2024. This conference is organised by the University of Lincoln in association with the Wildlife Trusts and the IEMA and brings together leading representatives from private, state and non-state sectors with mutual interests in developing carbon and biodiversity credits to achieve common objectives.
The conference is organised on a Panel discussion format to maximise interaction between all delegates. A range of topics will be covered relating to the design, financing and implementation of terrestrial and marine carbon and biodiversity credit schemes in the UK, Europe and worldwide. Panellists represent a diverse range of organisations at the forefront of credit scheme design, finance and implementation, including Natural England, IUCN, Environment Bank, Credit Nature, rePLANET, BMW, Glaxo Smith Kline, the Knepp Estate and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge amongst other high profile institutions from the UK and overseas. Informal meeting spaces are available throughout the conference which also includes an evening drinks reception on the 17 July. This event will be of interest to researchers with interests in this rapidly growing field and afford a unique opportunity to secure valuable contacts and networks.
All delegates are requested to register their attendance on the conference website at https://bccconference.lincoln.ac.uk/delegate-registration/ . Academics and students can purchase tickets at the reduced rate which covers all conference activities alongside refreshments, lunch and evening drinks. Further information on travel and accommodation in Lincoln is available on the conference website.
Please direct any queries relating to the conference to Dr Julian Clifton (jclifton@lincoln.ac.uk).
ClientEarth Summit: Please join us!
We have our upcoming ClientEarth summit (a free online conference) taking place between 4th and 6th June which is an informative and awareness raising set of panel discussions event with speakers from all over the world discussing topics such as plastics and human health, food and farming, biodiversity loss, greenwashing and disinformation and how we can use the law to hold big polluters accountable. More info here and you are welcome to sign up to as few or as many sessions that are of interest.
As mentioned, it is free and open to all so if you think it is appropriate and you are happy to promote it with your network – we would be delighted!
In case you haven’t come across us, ClientEarth is an award-winning non-profit organisation that uses the law to create systemic change that protects the Earth for – and with – its inhabitants.
Good News and Media Engagement
On Friday, Oli Wilson had the privilege of attending an advance opening of an exhibition called 'Bees: A Story Of Survival' at the World Museum in Liverpool, which features his work. Oli and Rob Marchant worked with the artist Wolfgang Buttress to incorporate Oli's 3D pollen models in the exhibition, where their shapes have been etched into glass blocks. The exhibition is amazing and highly recommended if you're passing through Liverpool this year! The World Museum had almost 700,000 visitors in 2023 (making it the most-visited attraction in the North West) and the exhibition will be touring internationally for the next few years, so it promises to reach a lot of people.
Research Opportunities and Updates
First-Time MRC Applicants: Your Questions Answered (Focus on Cross-Board opportunities)
Date / Time: Thursday, 23 May, 1-2 pm (UK time);
Venue: B/K/018 Lecture Theatre (Dianna Bowles Theatre)
Hosts: Professor Paul Kaye (Professor of Immunology, Hull-York Medical School) and Professor David Kent (Deputy Head, Department of Biology)
Are you interested in developing a funding proposal in any area of science related to the Medical Research Council (MRC)?
The Department of Biology is hosting an information session for first-time MRC applicants from across the university. Panellists with experience of securing MRC funding and sitting on MRC panels (IIB and MCMB) will cover key stages of the application process (from the triage process to the panel discussion) and the assessment criteria.
The session will also highlight cross-board opportunities of particular interest to the Department, including the impact of climate change on human health, developing guidance for better research methods, and MRC Centres of Research Excellence (CORE). There'll be an opportunity to ask your own questions.
The session will be open to academic staff in all Departments. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Christina Brennan, RED Coordinator in the Department of Biology: christina.brennan@york.ac.uk
Please sign up using this Google Form.
Workshop: Caring Responsibilities in Academia
Date / Time: Wednesday 22nd May, 10:30 - 12:45
Location: B/K/018
The next session of our Enhancing Research Culture project is coming up on Wednesday 22nd May, 10:30-12:45, in B/K/018 on the topic of caring responsibilities in academia.
This workshop will be about how to balance caring responsibilities with a career in academia. We will hear from academics at different career stages and with different backgrounds about their experiences, struggles, lessons, and advice, among others touching on topics such as having a child at an early career stage, moving abroad to a new institution with young children, as well as an exciting new initiative to help carers maintain some of their lab's research activity while they are on parental leave. There will be an opportunity to ask our speakers questions and to continue the conversation after the panel discussion over lunch.
The speakers for this session are:
Professor Laura Itzhaki (Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge)
Dr Miriam Klein-Flügge (Departments of Psychiatry and Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University Oxford)
Dr Eva Kimel (Department of Psychology, University of York)
Dr Aidan Horner (Department of Psychology, University of York)
Dr MaryAnn Noonan (Department of Psychology, University of York)
You can find out more about our speakers on the speaker profile document.
If you would like to attend please sign up via this google form. We can then order the right amount of lunch. Hot drinks will be provided at the start of the session, please bring your own cup.
If you are unable to attend in-person, we plan to live stream the talks and Q&A panel on the day and also have a recording to share after the session. Please indicate in the google form if your preference is to attend in-person or via live-stream. We will also send you a calendar invite.
Do you have an item to share in our next newsletter?
Great! Please add it to the Research, Teaching, Outreach and Good News Spreadsheet. Please use the most relevant tab for the activity/news and ensure that the description details are written out in full as you would like it to be presented. If your item does not fit the spreadsheet, please email it to environment-pa@york.ac.uk by 12:00 next Thursday.
Thank you for your help in making the newsletter a great way to catch up on all of the Department's latest news and activities