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  1. News from NHSF
  2. Become an NHSF member organisation
  3. NHSF report on ‘Careers in Heritage Science: Opportunities and Constraints’
  4. British Science Week-  NHSF call for blog contributions!
  5. Scoping report and final report for ‘Mapping Digitised Collections in England’
  6. DCMS appoints Chief Scientific Advisor
  7. Postscripts published from ‘The Mechanics of Art Materials and Its Future in Heritage Science’ symposium
  8. The Royal Microscopical Society
  9. Fourth round of applications for EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships
  10. Frederick Bearman Research Grant
  11. Research Grants call- Living with Climate Uncertainty
  12. Heritage and Policy Engagement Workshop: How to influence decision-making
  13. 2020 Working Internationally Conference: Soft Power in Turbulent Times
  14. Westminster Insight Conference- The Future of British Science, Research and Innovation Forum
  15. First events- Centre for Cultural Value
  16. Plastics in Peril Conference
  17. Call for papers! EAA2020 session on “Modern Networks and Past Narratives: ‘treasure hunting’, the art market, scientific analysis, and co-operation for the protection of archaeological heritage”
  18. Call for papers! ‘2020 Vision: Current and Future Research in Cultural Heritage Preservation Symposium’
  19. Become a reviewer for the Newton Prize
1. News from NHSF
It has been a busy start to the year...

At the beginning of January I was delighted to be asked to join one of the Icon Heritage Science Group's committee meetings to speak to them about the work that NHSF is currently doing to coordinate delivery of the Strategic Framework for Heritage Science in the UK, and in particular to explore how we could share information or work together to improve access to published heritage science research (see some of our past work on this here). 

This was swiftly followed by contributions to the work of The Heritage Alliance on Brexit and Immigration - sharing information from Forum members on concerns and opportunities relating to the new ways of working that will follow the UK's departure from the EU at the end of the month - in particular around the movement of people.

A week ago I took part in a focus group convened by the Arts and Humanities Research Council on Heritage Infrastructures as part of on-going work that UKRI and its research councils are leading to develop the UK's research and innovation infrastructure. This follows on from the publication of the findings of their infrastructure programme research which you can read about here (chapter 5 of the 'Opportunities to Grow Our Capability' report specifically mentions heritage science infrastructure as part of a wider analysis of a range of cultural heritage infrastructures).

As part of NHSF's strategic partnership with E-RIHS.UK I joined the steering group for its meeting on progress of the Preparatory Phase project to develop the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science, and the UK Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science. One of the goals of all this infrastructure work is to link up the facilities that are distributed across the UK and make them more accessible, as well as understand where there are gaps in current research capability. This is a key part of the 'Research strand' of the Strategic Framework for Heritage Science in the UK.

NHSF's working group on the Research strand of the strategic framework met yesterday. As an outcome from our Members' Meeting in November, this group is carrying out initial work to scope the socially relevant 'Grand Challenges' for heritage science research - more on this as it evolves, but do get in touch if you'd like to contribute.

And finally...we've been setting up the 'Impact' working group - the third of NHSF's three working groups that are supporting the three strands of the strategic framework and the parts of the framework that NHSF members can help to deliver. This group will meet virtually on 7th February to start to frame how it will work and to scope the next Member Meeting which will focus on the Impact strand of the framework and will take place on 6th March.

Behind the scenes, we're working to re-structure the website so that our content better aligns to the strategic framework - so please forgive us if some of the pages feature changing designs and content or broken urls as we work through this process over the next month or so. As ever, contributions of images to help us enliven the site and communicate the wonders of heritage science are most welcome.

Do get in touch if you are interested in taking part in any of the Forum's working groups. Caroline Peach, administrator@heritagescienceforum.org.uk  
 
2. Become an NHSF member organisation
NHSF's member organisations are at the heart of all that the Forum does. The Forum was created to address the findings of the 2006 House of Lords Inquiry into Science and Heritage that heritage science research was carried out across a large number of organisations and there was a need to bring those organisations together to benefit from each others' practice and strengthen collaboration.

The Forum currently has 18 member organisations and people at these organisations work together to:
  • improve partnership within the sector and with others by increasing collaboration to help practitioners make better use of research, knowledge and innovation and to enhance resources, funding and skills, investment and profile, and
  • demonstrate the public benefit of heritage science and to increase public engagement with it and support for it.

Our 2019-20 prospectus sets out our priorities for the year ahead. These are:

  • To engage the heritage sector with the new strategic framework for heritage science and coordinate its delivery.
  • To undertake policy and advocacy work that will generate an environment that is supportive of heritage science research.
  • To work in partnership with E-RIHS.UK on strengthening the research and innovation infrastructure (physical and digital) for cultural heritage.
  • To grow the Forum's membership so that it better represents the range of organisations that produce and use heritage science.
At the end of 2018 we changed out membership structure so that there is now a tiered level of fees for organisations with different annual turnovers.

We're offering pro rata membership for the last three months of this membership year (1st February-30th April) which works out as:
£625 for organisations with an annual turnover of > £20 million
£250 for organisations with an annual turnover of £1-20 million
£125 for organisations with an annual turnover of < £1 million

We welcome all organisations with an interest in heritage science and if you would like to find out more about joining the Forum, please email Caroline Peach at administrator@heritagescienceforum.org.uk

Current members are:
British Library, British Museum, Cardiff University, English Heritage, Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, Historic Royal Palaces, Icon, Imperial College London, National Galleries Scotland, National Trust, Natural History Museum, Tate, The National Archives, UCL, University of Cambridge Museums, University of Oxford, Wellcome Collection
 
3. NHSF report on ‘Careers in Heritage Science: Opportunities and Constraints’
A reminder that at the end of 2019, we published the findings of our research on pathways into postgraduate training and careers in heritage science, with Culture Syndicates CIC.

The report outlines the motivations behind applying for heritage science courses; whether postgraduates consider themselves to be heritage scientists; what their future goals and aspirations are; and their career pathways. 

The report also interviewed training providers and employers in heritage science, to seek their perspective on heritage science as a field and their experiences of recruiting for postgraduate roles and opportunities. The wider context of the heritage science landscape provided by these interviews contextualises the findings from student and alumni interviews and seeks to present an overview of the opportunities and constraints for those embarking on a career in heritage science.

As a detailed insight into pathways of heritage scientists, this report will be invaluable to prospective students, ECRs and alumni, policy-makers, training providers and employers in heritage science.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the research that underpins this report. We'll be reaching out to alumni, students and training providers over the coming months to explore how we can work together to address the report's recommendations.

You can read the report here in full.  
 
4. British Science Week-  NHSF call for blog contributions!
In 2020, British Science Week runs from 6th-15th March. This year we are again keen to post a series of blogs throughout the week about Heritage Science.

We are particularly keen to feature the work of Forum members. Please let us know about relevant work that you would like to showcase or if you are hosting any events as part of British Science Week that we can promote.

You can see examples of previous posts on the blog here.
Please email suggestions to administrator@heritagescienceforum.org.uk
 
5. Scoping report and final report for ‘Mapping Digitised Collections in England’
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has published a scoping report and final report on 'Mapping Digitised Collections in England'.

The work was commissioned to better understand the applications and limitations of emerging technologies and complement the work of the National Archives taskforce, This feasibility study into a recommended “framework” for mapping and connecting digitised cultural collections within England looks in particular at emerging technologies like AI, with the view of making them searchable across organisations and disciplines.

The reports summarise the applications and limitations of emerging technologies, such as AI. They are relevant to the strategic framework outcome of improved physical and digital infrastructure. Read the reports here.
 
6. DCMS appoints Chief Scientific Advisor
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has appointed Professor Tom Rodden as its Chief Scientific advisor. He is Professor of Computing at the University of Nottingham and the Deputy Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Professor Rodden also founded and co-directed the RCUK Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute and has acted as technical advisor to companies such as Microsoft and Mobile Life. Read Professor Tom Rodden’s full biography here.  
 
7. Postscripts published from ‘The Mechanics of Art Materials and Its Future in Heritage Science’ symposium  
Postscripts from ‘The Mechanics of Art Materials and Its Future in Heritage Science’ symposium have been published in the Smithsonian Contributions to Museum Conservation (number 10).  You can access the publication here.
 
8. The Royal Microscopical Society
NHSF members may be interested to learn of the work of the Royal Microscopical Society. Its mission is to ‘inspire and enthuse anyone who uses a microscope no matter what age, background or experience level’. They run a full calendar of events throughout the year, including networking events, training courses, conferences and exhibitions. Find out more about the society here.
 
9. Fourth round of applications for EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships
The fourth round of applications are now open for the prosperity partnerships funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Up to £20 million is available to support business-led partnerships between leading UK based businesses and their long-term strategic university partners. Initiatives selected will be world-class business-led research partnerships that will deliver economic, social and cultural prosperity for the UK. Find out more about applying here.
 
10. Frederick Bearman Research Grant
Applications are now open for ICON’s Frederick Bearman Research Grant 2020. The grant is an annual award of £1000 to support new research into the conservation of books, paper and related materials. The grant is open to all ICON members and was created in 2017 to remember Frederick Bearman and his contribution to the conservation profession. Apply before 8 February. More information is available here.
 
11. Research Grants call- Living with Climate Uncertainty
UK Research and Innovation (URKI) is inviting proposals for their third funding opportunity through the UK Climate Resilience programme. The programme is a £18.6 million collaboration between UKRI and the Met Office, aiming to draw together fragmented climate research and expertise in an inter-disciplinary manner. For this round, £1 million is available to support research proposals of up to 24 months. Applications are anticipated to be led by arts and humanities colleagues but to include researchers from the natural, physical, engineering, health, and social sciences where appropriate. Applications must be received by 4pm on 27 February.
More details, including how to apply, can be found here.
 
12. Heritage and Policy Engagement Workshop: How to influence decision-making
A workshop on ‘Heritage and Policy Engagement: How to influence decision-making’ will take place at UCL on 13 February. Discussions often focus on ‘How to engage with policy’ while this workshop will instead discuss ‘why engage with policy’. In particular, discussions will centre on:
  • introducing the policy process and stages of advocacy 
  • understanding who policymakers are 
  • exploring ways to engage with policy 
  • addressing challenges for researchers in doing policy engagement with key takeaways. 
Places are very limited so you must register beforehand. Find out more here.
 
13. 2020 Working Internationally Conference: Soft Power in Turbulent Times
A one-day conference is taking place at Leeds Art Gallery on 12 March to explore the role museums and galleries can play is supporting the UK’s soft power, especially considering the UK lost its top spot in the Soft Power Index in 2019. Topics will include digital soft power, changes over the next decade and how soft power relates to decolonisation. Find out more and book here.
 
14.  Westminster Insight Conference- The Future of British Science, Research and Innovation Forum
Westminster Insight is hosting a conference on 'The Future of British Science, Research and Innovation Forum'. It is taking place on 12 March in London and will see industry leaders discuss the opportunities, risk and future possibilities facing British Science. The wider implications of Brexit on the industry will also be considered, and you’ll hear how collaborations between innovations and investors can empower national research. More here.  
 
15. First events- Centre for Cultural Value
The new Centre for Cultural Value at the University of Leeds is now hosting its first series of events. Hosted in Cardiff (30th Jan), London (24th Jan) and Edinburgh (14th Feb), the half day events will discuss the shaping of the Centre’s programme over the next few years. The Centre aims to make academic work on culture more accessible and bridge the gap between theory and practice.
Open to all and free to attend but you must book in advance. Some travel bursaries are available for independent practitioners. More details about the events here.
 
16. Plastics in Peril Conference
Booking has opened for the University of Cambridge Museums’ ‘Plastics in Peril’ conference. It will take place in Cambridge between 16 and 18 March 2020 and will include various talks from conservation professionals on stabilising plastic artefacts, particularly mass-produced items found in scientific, industrial and social history collections. Some bursaries are available. Secure your place here.
 
17. Call for papers! EAA2020 session on “Modern Networks and Past Narratives: ‘treasure hunting’, the art market, scientific analysis, and co-operation for the protection of archaeological heritage”
There is a call for papers for another session at the EAA2020 conference. Session #262 will explore “Modern Networks and Past Narratives: 'treasure hunting', the art market, scientific analysis, and co-operation for protection of archaeological heritage". Paper or poster submissions could address the following questions:
  • Co-operation between agencies and institutions: how can we provide access to archaeological 'grey literature' and how can we connect different databases? 
  • Ethical issues: for whom and why are we analysing objects?
  • Social and economic impact: contribution of outreach and community archaeology to inform the public of the damage of looting, and to engage people in 'citizen science' 
Abstracts must be received by 13 February. More details here.
 
18. Call for papers! ‘2020 Vision: Current and Future Research in Cultural Heritage Preservation Symposium’
The Image Permanence Institute in Rochester, New York is seeking submissions for its two-day conference on ‘2020 Vision: Current and Future Research in Cultural Heritage Preservation Symposium’. It will take place at the Rochester Institute of Technology between 14 and 15 October 2020.
Presentations ‘should address the development and implementation of new preservation tools, methodologies, and research approaches, as well as practical resources, and training opportunities for the preservation community’. Submissions must be received here by 7 February.
 
19. Become a reviewer for the Newton Prize
The Newton Prize is awarded each year to collaborative science, technology and development projects bringing about positive changes in the developing world. The team behind the award are currently looking for expert reviewers to join them from around the globe. Reviewers will assess applications submitted by top researchers and entrepreneurs tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues, such as the use of AI and the implementation of Big Data. More information is available here, including the application form to become a reviewer.
 


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