|
|
|
UKAN+ Annual Conference 2023: Maximising the funding of acoustics
|
|
|
|
The 2023 Annual Conference face to face event will be a fabulous opportunity to meet fellow UKAN+ Members as well as hear from some inspiring speakers. Places are limited and early registration is recommended.
|
|
|
|
Sessions will including one on the impact and commercialisation of acoustics and another another on the future of UKAN+ - follow-on funding and impact and legacy based upon our town hall meetings.
|
|
We do hope to see you there!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The third funding call of UKAN+ will be launched at our annual event on the 14th September. The call framework will mirror our previous two successful calls. Details of which are available on the Funding Information - The UK Acoustics Network.
|
|
To support individuals with applying to the funding call, UKAN+ are offering our network a number of training/facilitation opportunities. Last month we announced the collaboration with Dr Elaine Massung and Professor Dan Allwood. Following successful funding calls 1 & 2 we are once again offering the opportunity of a facilitated funding call workshop with The Collective.
|
|
|
|
|
|
UKAN+ will once again collaborate with The Collective, expert facilitators, focused on stimulating future collaborative acoustics research projects. This informal event is designed to build research communities to develop new, innovative ideas for proposals and opportunities to deliver a step change in world-class research. It will aid proposals to align with the agreed acoustic priorities and project proposal assessment criteria. The workshop is limited in number to enable collaborative working.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As part of our call we are looking for different perspectives and to stimulate some novel thinking.
|
|
We are looking for short videos from our community which will drive discussion in the workshop. Can you help identify an unmet in your specialist area which would benefit from some blue sky thinking? If so, we want to hear from you! Contact z.hunter@acoustics.ac.uk in the first instance.
|
|
|
|
|
Future of your network - UKAN++
|
|
|
Following discussions with EPSRC regarding the future of The UK Acoustics Network, they have advised wider consultation with our members, to garner your thoughts and views, of how to continue the legacy and impact.
|
Kirill and Richard will host two online Townhall events providing you with the opportunity to express your views within an informal discussion to help set the agenda item at the next UKAN+ event in September.
|
|
UKAN+ is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
|
Topic: UKAN+ Townhall
Time: Jun 5, 2023 13:00 London
|
|
UKAN+ is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
|
Topic: UKAN+ Townhall
Time: Jul 6, 2023 13:00 London
|
|
We do hope to see you there!
|
|
|
|
|
After 4 years away Phononics 2023 is back with a bang in Manchester this coming June. The meeting will be held from 12-16th June and will showcase leading international work across the field of Phononics. The conference connects researchers interested in all aspects of the manipulation of sound, vibration and heat by complex materials, including phononic crystals, acoustic, elastic, nanophononic and thermal metamaterials, metasurfaces, wave propagation in periodic structures, nano-scale phonon transport, optomechanics and phonon coupling. There are also special sessions on applied phononics and links to photonics.
|
Please see the website: www.phononics2023.org for more details, including the special sessions, talks and evening events and also how to register.
|
The conference welcomes participation from academics and external partners, including those in industry where such media and materials are of importance.
|
|
|
|
|
The Rest Is Just Noise - a podcast hosted by Dr Andrew Mitchell, Dr Tin Oberman
and Dr Francesco Aletta, with support from UKAN+
|
The Rest is Just Noise (https://www.justnoisepod.com/ ) is a monthly podcast exploring the relationship between sound and our cities. For each episode three passionate and excitable hosts (soundscape researchers) are joined by an expert guest from fields such as acoustics, architecture, and environmental psychology, to discuss their latest work and introduce our audience to the science, beauty, and noise of urban sound.
|
Over the past two years, the podcast team published 26 episodes (one every month), each lasting approximately 40-50 minutes, with a total number of ~4.5k downloads so far. The list of podcast guests so far includes: Prof John Drever, Dr Gunnar Cerwén, Dr Jieling Xiao, Prof Marcel Cobussen, Dr Jordan Lacey, Prof Mats Nilsson, Dr Like Jiang, Dr Sarabeth Mullins, Dr Pamela Jordan, Ronald Altoon, Dr Antonio Torija Martinez, Dr Romain Rumpler, Dr Ruth Bernatek, Prof Gascia Ouzounian, Dr Simone Torresin, Dr Linda O’Keeffe, Dr Daniel Steele, Dr Edda Bild, Prof Marion Burgess, Prof Michael
Taroudakis, Prof Jean-Dominique Polack, Dr Sarah Payne, Dr Ellie Ratcliffe.
|
|
|
With its interviews and episodes, The Rest is Just Noise has covered some major international acoustics conferences, such as: Urban Sound Symposium 2021, Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America 2021, Symposium on the Acoustics of Ancient Theatres 2022, and plans to cover more in the future. The podcast also featured as “recommended resources” on the website of the International Year of Sound. The Rest is Just Noise has a Twitter channel with 300+ followers, where the audience can find updates on releases, general info and trivia, and upcoming episode.
|
The podcast is trying to achieve several goals. Firstly, it is providing a platform for researchers and practitioners to share their work and ideas with a wider audience. Secondly, it is promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and dialogue among experts from different fields. Thirdly, it is raising awareness among the general public about the importance of sound in urban environments, and how it can affect health, well-
being, and social interactions. Finally, it is contributing to the development of new knowledge and best practices in the field of urban acoustics and sound design. Overall, The Rest is Just Noise is targeted towards a diverse and multidisciplinary audience, united by a common interest in the role that sound plays in shaping our urban environments and our experience of them.
|
|
|
|
|
UKAN+ Mathematical Acoustics Paper Prize
Supported by the EPSRC UK Acoustics Network Plus (UKAN+)
A prize of £250 in Amazon vouchers and a certificate is offered by the UKAN+ Mathematical Analysis in Acoustics SIG for the best research paper in the broad area of Mathematical Acoustics written predominantly by a candidate who has not yet secured a permanent academic position. Mathematical Acoustics is to be interpreted in its broadest sense, and includes (but is not limited to) asymptotic analysis, applied analysis, numerical analysis, and mathematical modelling for acoustics problems. The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on 1st of August 2023. Further details concerning the prize and submission can be found here: https://acoustics.ac.uk/ukan-math-acoust-paper-prize/
|
|
|
|
|
Building a Career in Acoustics
|
|
|
On Friday 10th March 2023, the Early Career Special Interest Group (SIG) ran an event on ‘Building a Career in Acoustics’ in Manchester. The day started with a tour of the Acoustics laboratories at the University of Salford, followed by several talks and a panel discussion, and ending with a social/networking session. The speakers were Prof. Trevor Cox, Jo Webb and Dr. Antonio Torija Martinez (University of Salford), Stephen Turner (Stephen Turner Acoustics), Dr. Elly Martin (University College London), Emeritus Prof. Robin Langley (University of Cambridge), and Stefanie Edler-Wollstein (a consultant in the Postdoc and Fellows Development Centre at Imperial College London). The organisers were Drs. Simone Graetzer and Antonio Torija Martinez (Acoustics Research Group, University of Salford). To access more information about the event and the speakers, go to https://acoustics.ac.uk/building-a-career-in-acoustics/ and https://acoustics.ac.uk/building-a-career-in-acoustics-programme/.
|
Of the early career attendees, the vast majority said that the event exceeded their expectations and that the speakers were excellent. Attendees commented that the range and expertise of the speakers was excellent, and that it was particularly helpful that the speakers talked about both their successes and “failures”. On this point, one early career attendee noted that ‘[i]t is nice to know that even highly successful people have had setbacks, which helps a lot’. Another attendee said it was ‘great to chat … and get to know the other people in the field’. Mid/senior career attendees and presenters reported that ‘the presentations and panel session were really insightful’, that it was an enjoyable, successful event, and a ‘really excellent idea’, with great panel discussion questions. Attendees suggested that we could run a similar event each year, with topics such as how to succeed in research within industry, how to write a technical research proposal, possible directions to take in a career in Acoustics, how to do effective outreach and public engagement, how to do effective networking, and how to establish a research team. If you have any thoughts on future events or anything else relating to this event or the Early Career SIG as a whole, send us an email at earlycareersgroup@acoustics.ac.uk.
|
|
The event videos and slides are now available in the Resources section of the UKAN+ website here. The videos are now available on the UKAN+ YouTube channel here.
|
|
|
|
|
Art of Being an Acoustician
|
|
|
On the 21st April 2023 the inaugural Art of Being an Acoustician meeting was held at the Little Ship Club, London. The idea for this event was first broached by Past IoA President Stephen Turner as complementary to the long-running Art of Being a Consultant. UKAN’s Early Career Specialist Interest Group supported the concept for the creation of a researched focused event where the career path and experience of senior acousticians, current acousticians and new acousticians could be aired. To this end Professor Stephen Dance invited the presenters from as broad a background as possible government, academic, consultancy, through to product development and industrial research. Steve placed the REF21 real world impact case studies on to Lindsey’s wheel of acoustics to demonstrate the spread of UK research. Dr Lin Wang and Ms Josie Nixon represented the UKAN/IOA early career membership demonstrating integration of the two bodies.
|
|
The event ended with Professor Dance explaining the need to find a path to the future, perhaps through UKAN++. Professor Richard Craster greeted all the delegates and presenters at the bar, where discussions continued. We hope the delegates, from apprentices and Diploma students to PhD researchers enjoyed the event.
|
|
|
|
|
Writing any type of grant proposal is challenging. Is the idea novel? Does the project align with the funder’s strategy? Is there actually a need for the research and, if so, what difference will it make to the world? Does the proposal itself clearly address the funder’s assessment criteria?
|
Writing a fellowship adds another layer of complexity. These awards are intended to further develop the applicant’s leadership capabilities and usually have a strong advocacy component. The questions are now personal. How does the candidate’s track record demonstrate their leadership potential? How has the PI acted as an ambassador for their research area in the past? How will they continue to do so in the future?
|
The first cohort of UKAN+ members to participate in the Couch to £500K programme have spent the past year learning the ins and outs of creating a competitive fellowship application. The programme uses a structured approach to allow participants to develop the first draft of their proposal while receiving in-depth feedback on their work. They also have the opportunity to put themselves in the shoes of reviewers and interviewers to experience what it’s like on the other side of the funding process. The result? Proposal development becomes less overwhelming, and participants have the tools and techniques needed to approach all future grants.
|
Many congratulations to Emily at the University of Surrey on her successful fellowship bid, and we wish all Couch to £500K alumni the very best with their submissions.
|
The Couch to £500K Fellowship course is a really well organised and suitably paced course that effectively covers all aspects of writing a successful fellowship as well as interview preparation. Under the guidance and advice of Elaine and Dan, I was able to craft an impactful fellowship proposal and felt well prepared when I was shortlisted for a follow-up interview. The Couch to £500K Fellowship course played a key role in my subsequent success of winning this fellowship and I strongly recommend this training to anyone considering a fellowship application. Thank you again to Elaine and Dan for an outstanding training experience!
|
The full report from the programme is available here.
|
|
And stay tuned … Dan and Elaine will be busting common proposal myths each month within the UKAN+ newsletter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
