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

5-6 June 2013, University of Salford

SPARC is a forum for developing research, offering a space for postgraduate researchers from all disciplines to exchange ideas. Register your attendance here»

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.  

The call for abstracts has now closed. Programme details will be available shortly.

Prizes

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

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 registration page for more details.

Contact

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