Salford Postgraduate Annual Research Conference (SPARC) 2013: theory, practice, impact

• Date: Wednesday 5 June 2013 12.00am - Thursday 6 June 2013 12.00am
• Venue/Location: University of Salford
• Event type: Conferences
• Description:

  Call for Abstracts

  SPARC is a forum for developing research, offering a space for postgraduate researchers from all disciplines to exchange ideas. Proposals for presentations are invited which directly address the contribution and originality of the research in relation to any of the conference themes: theory, practice and impact.

  Theme

  In the current academic environment, researchers are increasingly expected to articulate the contribution of their research, to consider who is benefitting from it and how. As part of the UK national research assessment, universities must demonstrate the beneficial impacts that research has had on society, culture, public policy, the environment or the economy, while Research Councils require all funding applicants to consider the potential impacts of their proposed research from the outset. These contributions might take the form of advances in understanding, method, theory and application or can be understood in terms of effects on society and the economy, of benefit to individuals, organisations and nations.

  The conference is open to postgraduate researchers at all stages of research. We encourage presenters to focus on their own contribution (or potential contribution) in terms of any of the following:

  • advancement in theoretical understanding, for example challenging, developing or reframing debates
  • enhancements to practice, for example new applications of theory; enhancement of techniques, technologies, skills
  • beneficial impacts on society, economy, culture or the environment . Examples include anything from developing or improving public policy to increasing user involvement in research design; improving access to healthcare, influencing consumer behaviour or shaping environments to improve quality of life; creating new resources, bringing archival material into the public domain, or engaging new audiences with art and culture; managing the conservation of endangered ecosystems or improving business efficiency. You can find more information on research impact on the university website and on the Research Councils website

  These examples are suggestions only, and are not intended as an exhaustive list: the conference is inclusive and the three themes are open to interpretation. 

  Submitting your abstracts

  Please submit proposals, along with a 250 word abstract via the online submission form by 5pm on Monday 11 March 2013.

  You can choose to present your work in any of the following formats:

  • 15 minute presentation - a paper delivered as part of a themed parallel session with a maximum of 4 presenters. Proposals can be submitted individually or on behalf of a group of presenters.
  • Poster – A1 research poster which communicates research ideas visually
  • PechaKucha – a fast paced presentation format involving 20 slides for 20 seconds each (6 min 40 in total). Images advance automatically while the presenter talks
  • Three minute thesis – challenges presenters to effectively explain their research in three minutes to a non-specialist audience with a single presentation slide
  • Performance – a presentation of creative, practice-led research. This could also include a reading of creative writing
  • Exhibition – a presentation of any form of visual work or a film screening.
  • Demonstration – presentation of applied research , eg. an application, system or technology.

  For more information on all formats, please see the guidelines for presenters.

  We are also open to other presentation formats, so please contact us to discuss your proposal by emailing sparc@salford.ac.uk

  If you would like to run a researcher development workshop we would also be very interested to hear from you.

  Please indicate your preferred choice of presentation format and tailor your abstract accordingly. You should, however, also select a second choice of presentation format as places may be limited, particularly for 15 minute presentations.

  Abstracts will be reviewed by a panel and selected on the basis of their relation to one or more of the conference themes, the originality and significance of the research described, and the clarity and coherence of the ideas or argument. We are particularly interested in proposals that present research in an engaging way to a wide ranging audience, and have appeal beyond immediate subject specialisms.

  Prizes

  There will be various prizes available for abstracts and for presentations. Details will be announced on the website shortly.

  Printing bursaries are available for the top 5 poster abstracts, which will be judged on the basis of the abstract criteria above. These will cover the costs of printing an A1 poster, using the University services.

  Cost

  The conference is free to attend for all Salford students. There is a small charge of £15 for delegates from other universities, group discounts are available, please see the website for more details.

  Key Dates

  11 March 2013: deadline for abstract submission

  5 April 2013: notification of presenters

  6 May 2013: deadline for registration

  5 – 6 June 2013: conference

  Contact

  For any queries, please contact the conference team at sparc@salford.ac.uk