Bangor University Research and Enterprise Impact · PDF fileBangor University Research and...

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PRIFYSGOL BANGOR UNIVERSITY Bangor University Research and Enterprise Impact Awards 2013 Awards Evening Thursday 11 th July, 2013 Neuadd Huw Owen, The Management Centre 2013

Transcript of Bangor University Research and Enterprise Impact · PDF fileBangor University Research and...

PRIFYSGOL BANGOR UNIVERSITY

Bangor University Research and Enterprise Impact Awards 2013

Awards EveningThursday 11th July, 2013Neuadd Huw Owen, The Management Centre

2013

PRIFYSGOL BANGOR UNIVERSITY

Awards EveningThursday 11th July, 2013Neuadd Huw Owen, The Management Centre

Running order:

19.00 Drinks Reception

19.30 Formal Welcome by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor John G Hughes

19.40 Celebratory Dinner

21.00 Introduction to the Impact Awards 2013, Professor. Jo Rycroft-Malone

21.10 Presentation of Awards

21.30 Entertainment

23.00 Carriages

Entertainment: The Sarah Smith Duo

Bangor University Research and Enterprise Impact Awards 2013

PRIFYSGOL BANGOR UNIVERSITY

Vice-Chancellor’s Foreword

The research and enterprise activities carried out at the University play an important part in improving the economic and social wellbeing of Wales. Tonight’s awards give a good indication of what that contribution means in practice and it’s also a golden opportunity to celebrate some of our outstanding successes. I am sure this worthwhile occasion will continue to go from strength to strength, providing a showcase for the positive impact that the University can have on the economy and society, which underlines our position as the international University for the region.

Professor John G Hughes, Vice-Chancellor, Bangor University

Professor John G Hughes, Vice-Chancellor, Bangor University

PRIFYSGOL BANGOR UNIVERSITY

Impact at Bangor University

Impact is at the heart of our mission, and firmly embedded in our research strategy. At Bangor University we are combining knowledge creation of international excellence with innovation and communication, to ensure all areas of our research benefit others.

The purpose of our impact awards is to showcase the University’s work and celebrate our successes. In this inaugural competition the panel deliberated on over 20 applications. The competition was very strong, and tonight we should not only celebrate our finalists, but also recognise the wealth of talent we have across our university. Congratulations to our finalists, their impact stories will provide inspiration to others whilst serving to highlight the difference that Bangor University research can make.

Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone, University Director of Research and Chair of the Assessment Panel

Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone, University Director of Research and

Chair of the Assessment Panel

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The FinalistsBest Cultural and Societal ImpactSchool of Electronic EngineeringCollege of Physical and Applied Sciences

Title:Photonics Academy of Wales @ Bangor (PAWB)

Lead:Professor Alan Shore and Ray Davies

Partners:Welsh Optoelectronics Forum

Overview: PAWB has developed and delivered an inspirational, hands-on approach to increase participation and engagement in photonics – the science and technology of light. PAWB is opening opportunities for all students of all ages to become involved in the photonics industry, particularly within north Wales. The PAWB approach has successfully excited the interest of an extremely broad range of participants including community groups, company apprentices, experienced industrial personnel, primary and high school students, under graduate students and European post-doctoral workers. Photonics particularly has a role in the creation of a green economy in which reliance on electrical power is drastically reduced, and PAWB creates avenues into this and many other areas of activity where photonics is relevant, such as aerospace, bio-sciences, communications and medicine. Additionally, PAWB has contributed to the application made by the European Physical Society (EPS) to achieve United Nations designation of 2015 as ‘The Year of Light‘. The PAWB hands-on education approach is contained in the ‘Year of Light‘ programme of activities to which PAWB will contribute enthusiastically. By these means PAWB will have a global societal impact.

PAWB in action at the School of Electronic Engineering

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The FinalistsBest Cultural and Societal ImpactCentre for Advanced Research in International Agricultural Development (CARIAD)Welsh Institute for Natural Resources, College of Natural Sciences

Title:Improved livelihoods from better maize breeding

Lead:Professor John Witcombe

Partners:Gramin Vikas Trust (GVT), KRIBHCO Bhavan, NOIDA, New Delhi and Gujarat Agricultural University (GAU), India

Overview: Using highly novel methods a new maize variety (GM-6) was bred in order to be suitable for cultivation by resource-poor farmers in western India. These farmers grow maize on poor soils with little or no fertilizer in highly drought-prone areas, meaning the cultivation of crops such as maize is precarious. GM-6 has significantly reduced risk, increased yields, and improved food security. GM-6 was released in Gujarat in 2002 and later in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and accounts for 80% of maize seed production in Gujarat since 2002. It has benefitted several hundred thousand farmers who have grown it on a cumulative area of 2 million hectares.

Professor John Witcombe

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The FinalistsBest Cultural and Societal ImpactSchool of Ocean SciencesCollege of Natural sciences

Title:‘Saving our Tomorrow - Today’: Marine environmental protection in the Cayman islands

Lead:Dr John Turner

Partners:Department of the Environment (DoE), Cayman Island Government and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), USA

Overview: Recently, Richard Branson invited the Caribbean’s most influential political and business leaders to a summit on Necker Island, where they agreed a challenge of 20 by 20: to conserve at least 20% of their marine and coastal environments by 2020. The Cayman Islands are a UK Overseas Territory (UKOT) in the Caribbean where Bangor, (working with the Cayman Department of Environment and The Nature Conservancy USA) has recently completed a project to protect 50% of the island’s marine environments, greatly exceeding the 20:20 targets of the ‘Caribbean Challenge’. The project embodied the visions of local people to create a system of Marine Protected Areas to protect biodiversity, culture and infrastructure, while supporting jobs, incomes and economic prosperity. The outcomes have demonstrated an example of what can be achieved by applied research and public engagement.

Dr John Turner

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The FinalistsBest Impact on Public Policy and/or Public ServicesCentre for Evidence Based Early Intervention School of Psychology, College of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Title:Establishing evidence based practices in early intervention services across Wales and beyond

Lead:Professor Judy Hutchings

Partners:Early Intervention Wales Training Ltd., and the Children’s Early Intervention Trust

Overview: The Centre for Evidence Based Early Intervention continues the long established work (since 1988) supporting the establishment of evidence-based services for children and families in Wales. Building on results from pragmatic randomised controlled trials of interventions for parents, children and teachers it has led to grants of £2+m, extensive publications, many academic and service provider partnerships and successful post-graduate research students. The research has influenced Welsh Government policy, resulting in seven years of funding to train and support early intervention staff in delivering evidence based early intervention programmes. Evidence based parenting programmes are now delivered across Wales, 350 groups last year, impacting on policy discussions across the UK and beyond. In 2011 Professor Hutchings was awarded an OBE for services to children and families.

Professor Judy Hutchings

PRIFYSGOL BANGOR UNIVERSITY

The FinalistsBest Impact on Public Policy and/or Public ServicesCentre for Mindfulness Research and Practice (CMRP) School of Psychology, College of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Title:Implementation of Wellbeing Enhancing Mindfulness-Based Interventions

Lead:Rebecca Crane, Eluned Gold, Dusana Dorjee, David Shannon and Sharon Hadley

Partners:Ysgol Pen y Bryn, Gwynedd County Council, Anglesey County Council, North Wales Housing, Cartrefi Cymru, Families First, UK Network for Mindfulness-Based Teacher Training Organisations, Mindfulness in Schools Project, Trigonos, Ysbyty Gwynedd, BCUHB, Breathworks CIC, Mindfulness Works, Exeter Mindfulness Network, Oxford Mindfulness Centre, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Grenoble Business School, Tel Aviv University.

Overview: CMRP has developed an international reputation for excellence and leadership and was the first university based mindfulness centre in the UK establishing the first Master’s programme in this emerging field. It has been instrumental in developing impact of research findings by supporting translation of evidence into practice. This has been achieved through: • deliveringmindfulness-basedcoursestomembersofthegeneralpublic;trainingprofessionalstodelivermindfulness- basedcourseswithintheNHSandothercontexts;• leadingtheestablishmentofUKmindfulness-basedGoodPracticeStandards;• developinganinternationallyrecognisedmindfulness-basedteachingcompetencyframework;• researchingmindfulness-basedimplementationpracticeinothercontextsincludingworkplaces,schoolsand for parents. Geographically, CMRP is delivering this impact in North Wales, across the UK and in Europe and America.

Rebecca Crane

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The FinalistsBest Impact on Public Policy and/or Public ServicesBangor Food and Activity Research Unit (BFARU) School of Psychology, College of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Title:The Food Dudes Programme: Changing Children’s Eating Habits for Life.

Lead:ProfessorPaulineHorn,Dr.MihelaErjavec;ProfessorFergusLowe;CatherineSharp(KESSfundedMResstudentship);VickyHallandSophie Mitchell (Go Wales funded research posts).

Partners:Food Dudes Health Ltd.,

Overview: Given that fruit and vegetables are often children’s least-liked foods, improving their diets to reduce their risk of future ill health (diabetes, heart disease, cancers, obesity) presents a major public health challenge. To change children’s eating habits,theBangorFoodandActivityResearchUnit(BFARU)hasdevisedtheFoodDudesProgramme;aninterventionthat is founded on psychological principles, (such as role modelling, rewards, and repeated tasting). To date, the programme has been successfully introduced to more than 650,000 children in Europe and the USA. In its combination and utilisation of these principles, this approach is unique internationally. It is uniquely successful in bringing about large and lasting improvements in children’s diets. To extend and develop this approach internationally, a new Social Enterprise, Food Dudes Health Ltd., was established last year, in partnership with BU. This is now a thriving enterprise, employing 15 staff, many of them BU graduates.

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The FinalistsBest Improvement in Business Performance and /or Outstanding InnovationThe BioComposites Centre Welsh Institute for Natural Resources, College of Natural Sciences

Title:Sustainable development and commercialisation of new chemicals for industry at the BioComposites Centre: From intermediates for drug synthesis to plant derived chemicals for the biobased economy

Lead:Dr Adam Charlton

Partners:Apollo Scientific

Overview: The BioComposites Centre (BC) at Bangor University has collaborated with Apollo Scientific since 1997, to develop a range of over 150 commercially important chemical intermediates. Apollo Scientific is a global supplier of 50,000 chemicals that are incorporated into a wide range of products including;antibiotics,agrochemicals,anddrugs for the treatmentof inflammation,depressionandcancer.This ten-year collaboration, utilising flagship business innovation programmes such Knowledge Transfer Partnerships has enabled Apollo Scientific to generate £500,000 of new sales and Bangor University secure £600,000 of additional income. Follow-on research in BC on plant derived chemicals for industry has resulted in additional grant capture of £4.5 million, leading to investment in new staff and equipment. Additionally, BC is now a partner in BEACON (www.beaconwales.org) - a high profile UK industrial biotechnology project which will work with over 200 Welsh SME’s to develop new biobased products derived from plants.

Dr Adam Charlton

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The FinalistsBest Improvement in Business Performance and /or Outstanding InnovationInstitute for the Psychology of Elite Performance (IPEP) School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, College of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Title:‘Train in, not select out’: Bangor leadership training model decreased wastage rates in British army recruits and enhanced training practices

Lead:Professor Lew Hardy

Partners:Chief Scientific Officer, Army Recruitment and Training Division (ARTD), British Army

Overview: Because of the arduous nature of recruit training, high wastage (due to failure or withdrawal of recruits) has always been a problem for the Armed Services. A ten year programme of research by Bangor University funded by the Ministry of Defence focused on the benefits of training non-commissioned officers involved in the delivery of recruit training in transformational leadership and coaching skills. The research led to changes in the delivery of training across the three Armed Services, the formation of a new training establishment, the formation of a new tri-service monitoring and training body, better mental health in military recruits, and significant reductions in wastage (attrition) rates (up to 15%). The Bangor model developed by this research has also been utilised by the Canadian and US armed services.

Professor Lew Hardy

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The FinalistsBest Improvement in Business Performance and /or Outstanding InnovationInstitute for Competition and Procurement Studies (ICPS) School of Law, College of Business, Law, Education and Social Sciences

Title:“How Knowing Your Weaknesses Makes you Stronger” - the WIT Tender Review Service Transformative Methodology

Lead:Ceri Evans and Becky Hughes

Partners:Enterprise Europe Network, Welsh Government, CBI, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), North Wales Procurement Partnership

Overview: The innovative WIT Tender Review Service TRS methodology was pioneered by ICPS following a Welsh Government (WG) report highlighting that SMEs feel the tender feedback they receive from public procurers is not meaningful. The TRSaddressesthisbyprovidingauniqueservice;dissectingprevioustenderstoidentifymeansofoptimisingfuturesubmissions, helping suppliers to better understand the procurer’s requirements and building confidence for future work.The impact of theTRShasbeensignificant;manysuppliershavedoubled their tenderingsuccess rates.Thesuccess of the programme has resulted in plans to mainstream TRS in Wales. The methodology also has international relevance and appeal: the Canadian Government have modelled their tendering support on the TRS, and future project planning includes the transfer of TRS knowledge to other European countries.

Gary Clifford, Hayley French, Pedro Telles, Ama Eyo, Dermot Cahill, Alexander Aldred, Becky Hughes,

Stephen Clear, Ceri Evans.