News in brief

Be a maths genius
Do you aspire to solve problems like Einstein? Budding mathematicians studying for an undergraduate degree can get a head start thanks to a practical new guide by Leeds senior lecturer Dr Kevin Houston (School of Mathematics).

How to Think Like a Mathematician, published this month by Cambridge University Press, contains over 300 practice exercises and techniques to help students unlock the meaning of theorems and proofs and solve mathematical problems.

“When I was an undergraduate I noticed there were quite a few tricks, hints and strategies that are ingrained in successful mathematicians, such as my lecturers,” says Dr Houston, “but there was no one place where I could look them up. I thought it would be great to have a book that revealed these hidden techniques.” For details see http://tinyurl.com/6j2vbu

Call of the wild
Hydroecologist Dr Lee Brown (School of Geography) recently spent 10 days in Glacier Bay, Alaska as part of a NERCfunded project looking at the effects of flooding on ecological change, and was filmed by a German TV company for a forthcoming documentary.

The highlight of the trip was watching a black bear catch two salmon from one of the study sites. “However, the bear wasn’t happy that we were working at his best fishing spot, and a standoff soon developed,” says Dr Brown. “We decided that the science wasn’t really all that important and legged it back to the boat!”

Consultancy opportunities
The University has updated its policy and procedures for consultancy work, and a user guide will be sent out to all academic staff shortly. This clearly explains our policy and provides information on how to manage both private and University consultancy projects with businesses, charities or the public sector.

All academic staff are encouraged to undertake consultancy work to increase the impact of our research, enhance our reputation, and generate new opportunities. It is recommended that all staff currently engaged in consultancy work, or who are thinking about it, should read the user guide carefully.

For further details see the new Consulting Leeds website at www.consultingleeds.co.uk, where you can also read case studies of consultancy projects. If you have further questions, email the general finance manager, Os Finnie, at O.C.Finnie@leeds.ac.uk

Redefining Research Support
Research Support has unveiled a new structure as part of its drive to grow research income and lift our performance.

The number of staff employed in each of the nine faculty research offices has been increased, allowing them to offer more administrative support throughout the life cycle of a research grant.

From 2009, responsibility for the research grant database, account allocations, award acceptance and claims will be transferred to faculty research offices, following extensive training over the past six months. Research Support’s central team will now take on a more specialist role, looking after contract reviews, European Union/international awards, and policy and performance.

A new operations team has been created to support faculty research offices, undertake quality assurance, and head up a new training programme. If you have any questions, email the director of Research Support, Kathy Brownridge, at K.Brownridge@leeds.ac.uk

Funding to transform the world
Research leaders are invited to submit bids for up to £1 million in funding from the University’s ‘transformation fund’ for projects that address major global challenges.

The Growing Research Income and Performance (GRIP) executive team will meet three times in 2009 to consider expressions of interest on 2 March, 30 June and 30 September, although bids may be submitted at any time. Potential applicants should contact their faculty’s dean and prodean for research.

The transformation fund, which runs until 2010/11, aims to help the University achieve a step-change in our research income. Research projects may run for up to five years but should be self-sustaining beyond that. Successful bids will also receive matching funding from the participating faculties. Smaller sums may be sought for the arts and social sciences, and larger sums may be considered for ambitious bids.

To read more about some of the cuttingedge research already supported by the transformation fund, see the Reporter at http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/534 (‘Quenching
the world’s thirst’, ‘Combating global food shortages’, ‘Transforming lives through the biomedical revolution’, and ‘Better, safer chemicals and drugs’).

For enquiries contact the director of Research Support, Kathy Brownridge, email k.brownridge@leeds.ac.uk. Guidance and application forms are available at www.leeds.ac.uk/rsu

Publicity toolkit
The new ‘Publicity toolkit’, developed by media relations, communications and enterprise & innovation office, answers all your questions about how to promote research findings, knowledge transfer and events. It also offers advice on how to get your message across to staff, students, alumni, peers, policy makers and other key stakeholders.

The publicity toolkit contains information about press releases and PR opportunities, talking to journalists, news stories, photography, brochures, graphic design, websites and DVDs. Look for a special postcard inside this issue of the Reporter and for more details go to http://publicitytoolkit.leeds.ac.uk