As we enter Race Equality Week 2023 (6 to 12 February) we are likely to become more mindful of how we speak about the diverse population of staff and students on campus.

To help, Queen's Gender Initiative has published the following document as a source of information that staff and students may wish to review.

Consultation on Language and Terminology relating to Race and Ethnicity

To provide feedback, please email k.laverty@qub.ac.uk.

The major student experience surveys (QSS and NSS) opened to students at the beginning of February. These surveys target students at key stages in their academic journey and are instrumental in giving students a voice in their education.

All staff are encouraged to publicise the surveys and urge students to complete before the deadlines: QSS on Sunday 12 February and NSS on Sunday 30 April 2023.

Students can find more info at https://go.qub.ac.uk/haveyoursay. 

The Campus Food Market returns on Wednesday 8 February from 12.00pm to 3.00pm outside the front of the Lanyon Building.

This market brings together a great selection of hot food stalls showcasing Northern Irish produce and foods from around the world, including vegetarian and vegan options.

Everyone is welcome.

Race Equality Week is 6 to 12 February 2023. Queen's Gender Initiative is offering some suggestions of things Schools could do to endorse racial equity during this week:

• Virtual Badges
• 5-Day Challenge
• Hear what your colleagues really think and feel
• Join virtual thought leadership events

The University is currently advertising for the following positions internally:

• 23/110665 – Interim Director of Strategic Communications, Office of the Vice President of Strategic Engagement and External Affairs
• 23/110657 – Acting Director of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility, Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility
• 23/110651 – Project Manager, Office of the Vice President of Strategic Engagement and External Affairs
• 23/110626 – Website Officer (Maternity Cover), Marketing, Recruitment, Communications and Internationalisation (MRCI)
• 23/110637 – Clerical Officer, Centre for Dentistry

Staff can view internal vacancies on Queen's Online. Other vacancies are often advertised externally and are on the Job Vacancies page.

The 2023 Academic Progression process launched on 30 January and all eligible staff were issued with a communication advising that the portal is now open for applications on Queen's Online.

As part of the review of the process, new Academic Progression Intranet pages have been produced by the People and Culture Directorate to provide guidance and resources to academic staff interested in applying. These pages will remain on the People and Culture Intranet long-term and will continue to be updated to reflect any future changes in the process. Staff who don't wish to apply this year, but may in future, are invited to familiarise themselves with the pages to support their personal development planning.

To provide feedback or suggestions on the new Intranet pages, please email academic.progression@qub.ac.uk. 

Linguistic diversity is a key feature of university campus life, and part of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.

The Language Centre at Queen's and staff representatives are keen to hear from you on language learning to help gauge demand – including which languages staff are interested in, preferred language class locations on campus, and what time of the day suits best.

The survey will open from 15 January to 28 February 2023. Complete the survey here for a chance to win one of five £20 Amazon vouchers.

Survey findings will inform decision-making in relation to language training provision.

Staff are invited to an introductory workshop on the Guzheng, a traditional Chinese string instrument, on Monday 6 February from 3.00pm to 4.30pm in the Auditorium, McClay Library.

The workshop will be delivered by Queen's graduate Wei DENG.

Find out more and register

The latest articles from Queen's Policy Engagement (QPol):

• Professor Katy Hayward, Professor David Phinnemore: Future-proofing a UK-EU deal for Northern Ireland begins here and now
• Dr Ulrike M Vieten: Countering the normalization of the violent German Far Right

To submit an article to Queen's Policy Engagement, please email Kevin at qpol@qub.ac.uk.

The Conversation is a news website featuring articles by academics, often republished to global media outlets. Articles by Queen's academics published in The Conversation have been read by 12.5 million people internationally. Read the latest:

• Professor John Nagle: Beirut port disaster: former Lebanon prime minister charged with homicide
• Dr Gemma Catney (QUB), Dr Richard Wright (Dartmouth College): Census data shows England and Wales are more ethnically diverse – and less segregated – than ever before

Queen's Staff Blog provides a space for staff to share our reflections, knowledge and experiences and build a connected University community:

• BLOG: Supporting and connecting our staff who identify as carers, by Conor Curran, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Staff Wellbeing, People and Culture Directorate.

If you are interested in writing a staff blog piece, please contact internalcommunications@qub.ac.uk.

Our latest 'Spotlight on our Staff' profile features Professor Graeme Swindles.

Graeme is Professor of Physical Geography and Director of Geography, Archaeology & Palaeoecology in the School of Natural and Built Environment.

Read Graeme's profile

The School of Psychology invites staff to the Inaugural Lecture of Professor Pauline Adair, taking place on Thursday 9 February at 5.30pm in room 0G.012 (The Bridge), David Keir Building, followed by a reception in the DKB Hub.

The title of Professor Adair's lecture is: 'A health psychology approach to empowering parents to prevent dental caries in their children'.

Register via Eventbrite

Staff are invited to join Mary Phillips (City University of New York) and Ericka Huggins in conversation as they explore the complex relationship between historian and subject and the political urgency of the Black Power project – both in its past and present guises, and heading into future.

This event takes place on Wednesday 15 February from 2.00pm to 4.00pm in Linen Hall Library - Performance Area, Level 3, 17 Donegall Square North, Belfast, BT1 5GB.

Refreshments will be served after this event.

As part of the NI Science Festival, the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research (PGJCCR) will hold a Public Open Day on Saturday 18 February from 10.00am to 1.00pm.

This is an opportunity to tour PGJCCR research laboratories, meet its research teams and find out more about cancer research in Northern Ireland.

Tickets are limited; visitors must register in advance.

Find out more | Register

Staff are invited to the 21st Annual Sir Bernard Crossland Lecture, taking place on Wednesday 22 February from 5.30pm in Riddel Hall.

The 2023 lecture, entitled '"A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache": Security of supply in a low carbon energy system', will be given by Professor Keith Bell, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

More information / Register

Queen's Catholic Chaplaincy invites staff and students to the next event in its 'Conversations for the Common Good' series on Tuesday 7 March at 7.00pm in the Chaplaincy, Elmwood Avenue.

This lecture will be delivered by guest speaker, Queen's alumna and human rights lawyer, Caroline Haughey OBE KC. Caroline will address the theme of modern slavery, its evolution and the Church's response.

Staff are invited to the Inaugural Lectures of Professor Brendan Dromey (Centre for Light-Matter Interactions) and Professor Chris Watson (Astrophysics Research Centre). For more information, visit the following links:

• Professor Brendan Dromey: 'Ultrafast Nanodosimetry: Tracking the emergence of ultrafast response in complex materials using laser driven accelerators'. Wednesday 15 March, 4.00pm, Emeleus Lecture Theatre, Old Physics Building
• Professor Chris Watson: 'Terra Hunting: searching for temperate rocky worlds beyond our own solar system'. Tuesday 21 March, 4.00pm, Larmor Lecture Theatre, Physics Building

The Agility Fund + (Global Research Partnerships) is now open for applications. This scheme will provide pump-priming support for partnerships between Queen's academics and global collaborators with the aim of strengthening future research funding applications.

Applications to the scheme are open on a limited submission basis with an extended deadline of 4.00pm on Wednesday 15 February 2023. 

Research and Enterprise invite staff to an Impact Acceleration Account Speed Dating event on Monday 20 February from 10.00am to 2.00pm in Isdell Courtyard, Riddel Hall.

This is an opportunity to discover more about research impact and the funding opportunities available to support it; chat with experts in research communications, policy, commercialisation and partnership-building; and connect with colleagues and impact partner organisations over lunch.

Register via Eventbrite: Impact Acceleration Account Speed Dating

Research and Enterprise's 'Proof-of-Principle' (PoP) funding programme is now open to applications. This is an open call across all Faculties.

The deadline for applications is 22 February 2023 at 5.00pm.

More information / access an application form

Applications are now open for a new March cohort of the ICURe Explore Programme, with up to £35,000 funding available for salary, market discovery activities and business advisor support.

ICURe is open to research teams in all UK universities and approved public sector research enterprises (PSREs).

Apply here for the ICURe Explore Programme.

The closing date for applications is 12.00pm on Monday 6 March 2023.

The call is now open for applications to the Medical Research Council (MRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) for the following funding schemes:

• MRC IAA Confidence in Concept
• MRC IAA Enterprise Fellowships

The deadline for applications is Monday 13 March. View available opportunities here

Information Session

Researchers from Queen's are calling for parents and carers of children aged 0-3 years old to take part in a survey for the ESRC funded 'Toddlers, Tech and Talk' research project, which is looking at family usage of and parental/carer attitudes towards digital devices for this group of young children.

Data shows that the digital and online activity of children aged 3-15 grows each year, but comparatively little is known about how the very youngest use technology.

This survey is available in 12 different languages, accessed online through the QR code below, and will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

The January edition of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Newsletter is now available to view online.

View the latest AHSS Faculty Focus Newsletter.

The February 2023 edition of the Mitchell Institute Newsletter is now available. This edition includes:

• Latest events
• Postgraduate activity and events
• Fellows' Activity and Blogs
• Publications and recent articles
• New podcast episodes

Details of ongoing works being carried out across the University campus can be found on the Estates Directorate webpage.

More information: Campus Development: The week ahead.

An information session on Personal Development and Recognition in Higher Education Teaching, designed for postdocs and research staff, will take place online on Tuesday 21 February from 12.00pm to 1.00pm.

Find out more and register

A workshop on 'Time management for productive work and a happy life' will take place on Thursday 9 March from 1.00pm to 5.00pm in the Research and Enterprise Seminar Room, First Floor, 63 University Road.

This workshop will provide information, tools, tips, and self-reflection exercises to enable you to prioritise and efficiently deliver on your research and other duties without compromising your wellbeing.

Find out more and register

This competition is open to Queen's University students at all levels and is a fantastic opportunity to market test and validate an idea, as well as a chance to pitch for a share of the £20,000 prize pot.

Staff are asked to encourage any students who may have an idea to apply here, or for more information please email su.enterprise@qub.ac.uk. 

The deadline to apply is Monday 20 February at midnight.

This week’s new and returning films at Queen’s Film Theatre, your cinema on campus. Staff tickets are priced at £6.00 (standard ticket price £8.40). If you’re 26 and under join LUMI to get tickets for £4.50 everyday, all year round.

New this week

SAINT OMER: Acclaimed filmmaker Alice Diop (Nous) reinvents the courtroom drama in this concentrated, gripping study of a writer and the young African woman whose fate comes to fascinate her.

Staff are invited to the opening reception for the Naughton Gallery's new exhibition, FIX YOUR PONY!, on Thursday 9 February from 5.30pm to 8.00pm. Free admission. All welcome. Refreshments provided.

FIX YOUR PONY! is the fifth edition in the Naughton Gallery's sports exhibition series, celebrating the coming together of art and sport and exploring a range of issues around diversity and inclusion.

A Section 75 training session on the University's obligations as a public authority in Northern Ireland will be held on Wednesday 22 February from 10.00am to 11.00am via MS Teams.

This training is for any staff members who update policies, procedures or services at Queen's.

Register via iTrent Self Service.

The Centre for Educational Development invites staff across Queen's to register for a 'Developing Leadership in Educational Practice' programme, beginning on 22 February from 2.00pm to 4.00pm and continuing for 10+ weeks.

Register here: Developing Leadership in Educational Practice - registration page

The QUB Teaching Awards scheme for 2023 is now open.

The scheme was established to encourage and reward the development of learning and teaching practices and learning support practices that have led to particularly effective/worthwhile learning.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Monday 27 March.

Canvas System Updates

Canvas VLE is continually evolving. Updates from Saturday 21 January include the ability to enter a keyboard shortcut ("mi") into the Gradebook for missing assignments and a new help button in Blackboard Ally to support you in improving the accessibility of your course content. Visit the Digital Learning at Queen's blog to learn more.

Are you making time for your learning? LinkedIn Learning – an extensive online learning resource – is available for all Queen's staff.

Sign up for LinkedIn Learning here to request your individual access.

Email stafflearning@qub.ac.uk if you have any questions about requesting access.

Staff training delivered by CED (the Centre for Educational Development), Information Services and various Digital Learning teams across Faculties is now available to book via the Digital Learning Training Events calendar.

Training coming up this week:

Each Microsoft Team sits on top of an individual SharePoint site and has a range of functions, including document libraries that can facilitate servicing committees.

To find out more, register for the training session on 28 February.

The IT training course programme schedule can be viewed here. Booking is via iTrent on Queen's Online.

Places are available on the following courses:

• Dynamic PowerPoint: Wednesday 15 February, 10.00am to 11.00am
• Advanced Word, Getting More out of Word: Friday 24 February, 10.00am to 11.30am