Film-making course at BBC Voices @bbcnorfolk

I attended an Introduction to film-making course at BBC Voices (Norwich Forum) today.

After some tuition we were let loose on Norwich armed only with video camera, tripod & clipboard.

We then were shown how to use the Pinnacle video-editing software to edit our raw video down to a short (< 3 minutes) film. My first film is shown above. I'm quite pleased given that I hadn't done this sort of thing before.
I intend to make a video version of my presentations used in my Food Security activity that I've been delivering to schools. This will enable me to make the activity available over the web to any school that wants to use it.
Also, my boss has an idea that involves a whiteboard animation that should be quite challenging...

M Sc Bursaries in Science Communication

Centre for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, University of Manchester Two £5000 student tuition bursaries available for MSc study in Science Communication, 2013-2014

CHSTM is offering two £5000 taught masters (MSc) student bursary awards for suitably qualified candidates accepted for our full-time or part-time postgraduate taught MSc programme whose intentions are to subsequently pursue a PhD. The awards, which are tenable from September 2013, will cover the entire tuition fee for UK or European Union students, or partial support for students paying the higher international rate, who are equally eligible to apply. They do not include a stipend or support for accommodation.

CHSTM is one of the world's leading centres for history of science, technology and medicine and their relations with society, with a growing focus on science communication. Our innovative MSc programme aims to provide a comprehensive historical introduction to nineteenth- and twentieth-century science, technology and medicine in their wider social, economic, cultural and political contexts, including science communication and the relationship between science and the public. It also offers systematic training in historical approaches to a wide variety of scientific, technical and medical knowledge and practices. We have a lively postgraduate community of Masters and PhD students, and a large and successful group of postdoctoral researchers. Our study facilities are excellent, and we have an outstanding track record of progression from Masters to PhD, and from doctoral to postdoctoral study. We pride ourselves on the interdisciplinary nature of our programmes, and cater for students with a science background as well as those arriving with a humanities or social science undergraduate degree. We offer a range of MScs including the History of Science, Technology and Medicine; Medical Humanities; and Science Communication. Our Research Methods in History of Science, Technology and Medicine degree is an approved pathway to apply for ESRC-sponsored PhD study.

The deadline for applications is 8 April. Application forms and further particulars for the bursary awards and for graduate study are obtainable from Dr David Kirby, MSc Director, Centre for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, david.kirby@manchester.ac.uk; tel +44-161-275-5837

For more information about our MSc programme, visit the Centre’s Web site:

http://www.chstm.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/

Help protect UK trees by taking part in OPAL survey

OPAL is launching its next survey, the OPAL Tree Health Survey in May 2013.

This survey has been developed by Forest Research and the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA).

The main aim of the survey is to discover more about the general health of our trees and to provide vital information to scientists on particular trees including oak, ash and horse chestnut.

OPAL will be distributing free Tree Health Survey packs to anyone who would like to take part in the survey. As with all the other surveys, the Tree Health Survey pack includes all the information needed to complete the survey, including easy-to-follow instructions in the Field Notebook and Field Guide.

If you’d like to take part and would like to receive some free OPAL Tree Health Survey packs, then please email me stating the number of packs you need (please note that you can request up to a maximum of 10 packs) and the full postal address that you’d like the packs sent to.

Please reply by the 22 March 2013 to ensure that you receive the number of packs you need.

Thanks,

Hélène Coleman

OPAL East of England Community Scientist

OPAL East of England

Department of Human and Environmental Sciences

University of Hertfordshire

Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9AB

T: 01707 285050

M: 07973 677563

E: h.i.coleman@herts.ac.uk

I: www.OPALexplorenature.org

Using NodeXL to visualise a Twitter BigBangFair network

Microsoft NodeXL graph of Twitter network of people tweeting about @bigbangfair
(I'm the STEMnet Ambassador icon :-) )

Reflections on IFR Day 2 @Bigbangfair

Another insanely busy day on the IFR stand at Big Bang Fir. Our network stand was very popular with young people crowding the tables to get one of our food passport bags and get onto @MEandER pizza network sculpture. We were relieved when Joanne, Dr Phil & Charlotte arrived to reinforce us. They went into flat out packing of the bags as our supply was dwindling. Even this heroic effort wasn't enough to keep up with the maximum flow (Networks reference :-)) and we had to close the stand for 15 minutes whilst we went all hands to the pumps to re-supply before next surge.
Jozsef (Baranyi) and I had a frantic but wonderful time talking about the maths of network science and it's applicability to the real-life problem of food safety & Food sceurity.

Two concerns remain 1) will our passport supply last out to Sunday and 2) will my voice last out?

I feel this has been our best stand so far and that we've successfully engaged with a huge number of youngsters about IFR science. We could not have done this without our volunteer helpers and generous funding by IFR and the Global Food Security consortium.

More photos to follow (including a mightily passport festooned sculpture)....

IFR on Day 1 @Bigbangfair at Excel London

Our Big Bang Fair Experience starts today with schoolchildren fro around UK getting their contemporary science fix.
We arrived yesterday at about 1pm and in a mere 8 hours had unloaded both vans and got both the IFR and JIC stands up (photos to follow) in what could only be described as Ice Station Zebra conditions....

We're showing how food-borne outbreaks fof  in our global food supply chain can occur and our weapon of choice to explain it is Network Science - so break out the math!

Science & Plants for Schools Science teacher/technician grants

SAPS Associate Awards: Grants for science teachers and technicians

Awards | Award Holders | Applying for an Award | Application Forms

Science and Plants for Schools supports UK teachers, HLTAs and technicians with new ideas for teaching about science through plants.
We'll offer grants and funding of up to £500 to cover your time & costs in developing a teaching resource, and will offer support and scientific contacts if necessary.
We also offer grants of up to £100 to fund teacher and technician-led CPD, such as TeachMeets.
Proposed resources should aim to enhance students' understanding of plants at secondary and post-16, whether in a broad sense of fundamental principles, lab techniques (e.g. time-lapse photography), or a specific focus on an area of plant biology.
The deadline for grant applications for Spring 2013 is 29th March 2013.  The deadline for grant applications is 13th May 2013. 
Find out more about the award criteria , funding CPD opportunities, and about current award holders.