A snapshot of the research and innovation activity happening across the University of Kent (July-September 2024).
Welcome to Kent's round-up of research and innovation activity over the summer. This is often a quieter period of the year, with the majority of funder deadlines having passed, colleagues needing to focus on activities such as resit marking and Clearing, and students and colleagues alike able to have a well-deserved break before the term starts again in September. Yet at Kent, research never stops; for many, the lull in the teaching timetable is an opportunity to develop new funding applications, seek new partnerships and carry on with the world-leading research and innovation that we do so well across the arts and humanities, social sciences and STEM.
It is this dedication that has seen our research and innovation community secure almost £28 million in funding since the start of the calendar year. This includes multi-million-pound awards from the Wellcome Trust, Research England and the National Institute of Health Research, as well as awards from a range of other funders, including the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust. We are continuing to harness funding through Horizon Europe, Eastern Arc and the 3i University Network, and are collaborating with organisations ranging from Ebbsfleet Football Club to the European Space Agency.
I would like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank-you to everyone, both academic and professional service staff, for all your work at such a challenging time. You are making such a positive difference!
Researchers have contributed to guidance for care homes on how to provide LGBTQ+ inclusive care.
Carl Richards and Professor Michael Smith theorise that galaxies have 'hearts and lungs'.
Dr Tally Yoh recommends how publishers can make conservation science more inclusive.
Conspiracy theory expert, Prof Robbie Sutton, comments on the role that chatbots have to play in weakening belief in conspiracy theories.
BBC South East shares details of the guide created by Dr Jolie Keemink and colleagues.
ITV Meridian called upon Dr Anastasios Tsaousis to test samples from Kent and Medway's rivers and coastline.
Rubrik Biegon shares his expert opinion with News Week on Trump's relationship with NATO.
In collaboration with other organisations, Kent has launched a project to promote involvement in community creative activities for Hastings residents to improve health outcomes.
Fraser Cook, a PhD student studying Biodiversity Management in the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE), has secured funding for an expedition to assess the sustainability of the ornamental plant trade in Kapuas Hulu, Indonesia.
Dr Becky Hall has been awarded £2.9 million from the Wellcome Trust to investigate how Candida albicans changes the structure and composition of its cell wall to 'hide' from the immune system.
The Wellcome Trust has awarded Dr Emilie Cloatre £5 million to explore how unproven, disproven, or misleading health-related claims are regulated; examine the socio-political implications of these strategies; and propose alternative legal models.
To maximise the impact of our research, we are always looking for new ways to share academic ideas and insights outside of academia, and bring in external perspectives and experiences. Here are some of the ways we're doing that:
Shivani Taneja, awarded the Rybcznski Prize by the Society of Professional Economists for her essay 'Is digitalisation boosting the decarbonisation of industries'.
The Centre for Child Protection which, in collaboration with Kent Police, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Prize 2024.
My 5-year survey of UK social and political attitudes and behaviours is the most ambitious of its kind.
Professor Nikhil Sengupta Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology
To display an event here, submit it to the Public Engagement calendar via 'Public Submissions (Central) on Events Factory and use the tag 'research and innovation'. If you are organising social, community and cultural events and activities, please record them here.
This page is updated quarterly by Kent's Communications Team. If you have a research story you think is worth sharing, contact pressoffice@kent.ac.uk.
