* These include individuals with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), a Biometric Residence Card (BRC) or legacy paper documents such as a passport containing an ink-stamp or visa vignette sticker. Individuals who currently prove their immigration status with one of these documents, need to visit www.gov.uk/evisa to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa. This move to eVisas does not impact any individuals’ underlying immigration status.

Important note

If you do not create a UKVI eVisa account, you will have no way of proving your lawful right to be in the UK after 31 December 2024. You need evidence of this for a wide range of activities, including:

• travelling into the UK;
• carrying out a right to work check;
• opening a bank account;
• accessing state benefits (if this is permitted on your visa);
• registration with a GP;
• obtaining a driving license.

Creating, accessing and using a UKVI account

Creating a UKVI account is free. Videos explaining the process are available here on GOV.UK.

Once accessed, eVisas can be used to generate a share code to prove immigration status and associated rights such as the right to work and the right to rent using the view and prove service at www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status.

More information and support

Further information, support and guidance is available at www.gov.uk/evisa.

The International Staff Support team are available to provide support and assistance at: internationalstaff@qub.ac.uk.

• To make a monetary donation, please visit: https://www.bankuet.co.uk/give/southbelfast-give-once
  Under 'Additional Information', select campaign code 2024 - Christmas - Queen's University Belfast at check out for the donation to be counted as part of the Queen's-wide campaign.
  
  You can donate on Bankuet up to Friday 20 December.
  
  
• To make a physical donation, collection points have been set up at:
  • One Elmwood (Staff Kitchen)
  • The Graduate School
  • Administration Building (Academic Affairs, Level 6)
  • School of Pharmacy (School Office)
  • Physical Education Centre (PEC)

The foodbank has indicated that they would particularly welcome donations of: tinned meat/fish, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, coffee, milk (UHT or powdered), jams/honey/spreads, tinned spaghetti, biscuits, instant mash potato, toiletries - soap, shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste etc., toilet roll, and seasonal items.

You can donate to one of the collection points up to Friday 13 December.

More information

The South Belfast Foodbank have worked tirelessly for over 10 years, providing food, toiletries, and support to those in need in our local community. Those that have been referred are able to select their own food, toiletries, household and baby items from one of the two recently opened supermarket style centres. A 1:1 appointment with a trained volunteer is also provided to offer support and signpost to other avenues of help. Since opening in 2014, they have provided 492,795 meals to people in crisis. Your donation will support the South Belfast Foodbank to sustain this essential provision over the tough winter months ahead.

Last year, this collection raised a total of £1,560 was raised in monetary donations and 245.85kg donated in food and toiletries which were gratefully received by the South Belfast Foodbank, supporting approximately 40 families for one week.

Find out more about the South Belfast Foodbank

Find out more about Bankuet

The CPF offers a more efficient and integrated experience. This change is necessary as Turnitin LTI 1.1 is no longer supported and has several limitations.

For guidance and resources, visit:

• Transitioning to the Canvas Plagiarism Framework
• Turnitin in Canvas is Changing
• Full guidance on CPF for staff

Staff requiring support can contact the team via the 'Help' menu in Canvas.

2. Invoices received after 5.00pm on Tuesday 10 December and Requests for Payment or Staff Expenses Claims received after 12.00pm Wednesday 11 December 2024 and before 12.00pm on Thursday 2 January 2025 will be paid by Friday 10 January 2025.
3. Normal payment arrangements will apply for all payment requests received week commencing Monday 6 January 2025.

Whilst Accounts Payable will make every effort to comply with this timetable, due to the volumes of payment requests received at this time of the year, and to ensure payment before the holiday, staff are requested to process all such transactions well in advance of these deadlines.

Further clarification of these arrangements, if required, may be obtained from Accounts Payable by emailing: accounts.payable@qub.ac.uk.

More information

The survey is completely anonymous, and your valuable feedback will help us to identify what we are doing well, and crucially, where we can do better in making the university a more diverse, equal, and inclusive place. It will also inform our application to the Race Equality Charter in 2025.

For further questions, please refer to the FAQs or email REC@qub.ac.uk.

For further information, please contact the Staff Wellbeing team at staffwellbeing@qub.ac.uk.

Nightingale Holistic Therapies' goal is to provide quality, affordable massage to staff, with an aim to help destress and rejuvenate during the working day. Treatments are available at a discounted price for staff.

Please contact the supplier directly with any queries: moyahcunningham@hotmail.co.uk

• FREE Queen's Sport App: Stay connected and make the most of your membership with our convenient mobile app.
• Online Bookings: Easily reserve your spot in classes, activities, and facilities through our user-friendly online booking system.
• Complimentary parking facilities exclusively available to our members for up to 3 hours.
• Special Associate Rates: Take advantage of discounted rates for associates of Queen's Sport members.
• Flexible Membership: No long-term contract required for Salary Deduction or Direct Debit memberships. Enjoy the freedom to cancel with just one calendar month's notice.
• Take advantage of special rates for courses, children's courses, 5-aside bookings and physiotherapy services via Kingsbridge Healthcare.

* Please note: anyone who wishes to attend will need to register their own interest so we can share the link individually and are able to gather attendance details.

More information

These 30-45-minute events will provide a run-through of the benefits of Cyclescheme, Cycling to Work, how much money you can save through the scheme, where you can get a bike, how to apply, additional Cyclescheme offerings, and will host a live Q&A session at the end where the organisers will answer as many questions as possible.

This is a fantastic period for staff to consider purchasing a new commuting bike following on from the recent opening of the university’s new ebike facility and PEC shelter, encompassing 80 new secure bike parking spaces.

About the W100 Survey

This survey is coordinated by The World 100 Reputation Network, a group of leading global universities, of which Queen's University is a member. The survey is managed by Times Higher Education, who ensure that all responses remain anonymous and confidential in accordance with the UK’s Market Research Society Code of Conduct.

For any questions, staff can contact Rowen Elliott at rowen.elliott@timeshighereducation.com. 

A new bespoke Personal Development Review (PDR) form and associated guidance was rolled out for all research staff in summer 2024, following a pilot in summer 2023. To gather feedback on the new PDR process, the Postdoctoral Development Centre (PDC) have prepared this short survey targeted at postdocs and other research staff.

More information

The QUB RAG Festive Coffee Morning and Raffle is a great opportunity to connect, share stories, and unwind over freshly brewed coffee and delectable festive treats (as well as walk away with a fantastic prize!). Whether you're a coffee aficionado or simply looking for a quick break away from your desk/studies, this event promises to be an enjoyable midweek pick-me-up.

Raffle tickets will be available as follows: five tickets for £5; 15 tickets for £10. If you would like to purchase raffle tickets, please aim to bring cash, however a card reader will be available where cash is not possible.

* If you cannot make the coffee morning but would like to make a donation to the nominated charities, please click on the relevant button here.

In keeping with the charity's campaign (information below), attendees can feel free to show off with glitzy outfits or Christmas jumpers. As part of the event attendees will make Christmas Tree Decorations under the guidance of a professional Jumping Clay demonstrator while enjoying festive treats and singing along to Christmas Hits.

More information

Dementia NI is a local, member-led charity formed in 2015 by five individuals with a diagnosis of dementia, to enable them to have their voices heard and improve dementia services for themselves and others in Northern Ireland.

This year the Charity is running a Christmas campaign called It's Time To Sparkle For Dementia NI, encouraging everyone to shine and help empower local people living with dementia throughout the year.

This event is being organised by members of the Centre for Medical Education who currently support family members living with dementia.

To contribute an article to Queen's Policy Engagement, please email Kevin at qpol@qub.ac.uk.

• US election: how does the electoral college voting system work?, by Dr Richard Hargy
• US election: what time do the polls close and when will the results be known? An expert explains, by Dr Richard Hargy

In this month’s edition:

• Research Impact - What is it and Why is it important?
• Amplifying your Research Profile Through Communication
• Blog: How Your Research Boosts Queen’s Reputation
• Research News
• Innovation News
• Upcoming Innovation Programmes
• and more

Through this interactive workshop, you will explore the legislative process and how you can work to influence both policy and policy makers. You will discover how to engage with the parliamentary processes from contributing to a committee meeting to preparing briefing notes for MPs.

Please contact d.rogers@qub.ac.uk with any queries.

Applications to take part in FameLab UK opened on 1 October. The regional winner from NI will go on to compete at a FameLab UK Final, hosted live at Cheltenham Science Festival. The live FameLab NI Final will be on Tuesday 18 February in the Black Box in Belfast.

The Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences (FMHLS) Faculty Engagement team is delighted to support the NI Science Festival as the NI National Hub for FameLab UK.

Image © IBEI

Abstract

This paper positions itself on the critical-creative boundary and draws upon aspects of literary stylistics, especially cognitive poetics – the principled study of what happens when ‘mind’ meets ‘word’ and builds ‘worlds’ in response, to explore how engagement with the field(s) might benefit creative practice-researchers working within HE. After defining the term ‘practice-research’ and exploring some of the debates surrounding that methodology and its attendant discourses at present, the paper considers the implications of approaches rooted in literary stylistics for the ‘mechanics’ of creative practice, rather than in terms of ‘post-event’ analysis from the perspective of the stylistician or literary critic, as a way of contributing to these debates. It is in providing a principled and rigorous account of, for example, the way readers engage with text, viewers with film or audiences with performance that literary stylistics and cognitive poetics have much to offer the creative practitioner, particularly in terms of energising processes of principled reflection and exegesis, which will often – always? - accompany practice undertaken in an academic context. The paper will consider cognitive-poetic frameworks including Text World Theory, embodiment, mind-modelling, writingandreading (Oately 2004) and the notion of world-building in general.

Speaker Biography

"I work on creative writing from a stylistics/cognitive poetics perspective at the University of Kent (Canterbury, England). I am a practising writer, filmmaker and ‘digital storyteller’ and am currently working on three funded projects (Arts Council England and Creative Estuary) exploring creative heritage in the Thames Estuary. A second fully-revised and expanded edition of my book Creative Writing and Stylistics (Critical and Creative Approaches) was published in 2023. Further details of my practice and research can be found on my website: www.jeremy-scott.co.uk"

This event is supported by English CDRG and the Seamus Heaney Centre.

This seminar should last around 45 minutes and the speaker will be around for a Q&A after this. Staff who would like to meet with Prof Clokie during her visit can contact Dáire O'Neill or Dr Skvortsov to try and arrange this.

Cluster ‘top-down’ calls address global challenges and are structured in the following six categories:

1. Health
2. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
3. Civil Security for Society
4. Digital, Industry and Space
5. Climate, Energy and Mobility
6. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural resources, Agriculture and Environment

About QUB ACE-CSE

The ACE-CSE is advancing Queen’s University’s cyber security strategy by fostering a culture of cyber awareness and enhancing cyber security knowledge across educational pathways, institutional operations, and the broader community. Staff interested in finding out more or joining the ACE-CSE team can contact Dr Sandra Scott-Hayward.

• Small Things Like These
• SCREEN/PRINT: Wayne's World
• After the Credits: Film Discussion Group
• Kiss Me, Kate: The Musical
• Exhibition on Screen: Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers
• LUMI Presents: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
• All We Imagine as Light
• Conclave
• Art of Action: Police Story
• Housewife of the Year
• Art of Action: LUMI's Action Packed All Nighter
• NT Live: Prima Facie

Staff tickets are priced at £6.50 (standard ticket price £8.90). If you are 26 and under join LUMI to get tickets for £5.00 everyday, all year round.

About JOYFUL RESISTANCE

What does it mean to be punk and how has it played a role in the transformative and restorative justice across the globe? In this bold and innovative new body of work, Xunise explores the thread that weaves together punk rock, DIY, and community change, inviting visitors on a thrilling journey through the intersecting realms of politics, activism, and music. With haunting parallels of resistance from Belfast to Chicago, Xunise utilises humour and illustration to advocate for the beauty of the underground – where grassroots resistance can be a catalyst for global revolution.

Naughton Gallery online: Explore the Gallery's exhibitions and collections here.

More information

Located on the ground floor of 1 Elmwood, the student-led swap shop showcases our shared commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

The swap shop was created as a means of encouraging students to reuse and recycle, as well as creating a space where people can swap items instead of having to buy new clothes or household items.

As well as being good for the environment, it’s also good for your bank account.

This is a brand-new course, designed for all researchers and will:

• explain what is meant by research data;
• outline your funder requirements regarding data sharing;
• outline if your funder mandates that your data must be shared in a named repository;
• outline if there are timeframes for the sharing of your data.

It is essential to attend this course if you want to ensure you are compliant with your funder policy regarding data sharing.

• Get Ready for Management and Leadership
• Understanding the Gen Z Perspective as a Manager
• Introduction to Fintech
• Sustainable project management strategies to boost social economic and environmental impact

To register your interest

Staff submitting an expression of interest should include detailed bullet points indicating how they would meet the criteria outlined in the Award guidelines. These should be sufficiently detailed and include information on the type of evidence you can provide to support your claims, to allow the internal selection panel to make an informed decision. The Expression of Interest should also include a brief opening paragraph setting out what you do that is new or different to the discipline/University.

More information

In 2025, for the NTFS the University can nominate up to three individual members of staff who teach and/or support learning in higher education. The NTFS 2025 Guidance document provides details about the Scheme and the criteria.

The CATE recognises and celebrates collaborative work that has had a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning. The University can nominate one team that can clearly demonstrate its impact on teaching and learning through collaboration. The CATE 2025 Guidance provides details about the Scheme and the criteria.

Further information is available on the CED website. Queries can be directed to e.mcdowell@qub.ac.uk.

More information

Register via iTrent self service.

The Centre of Educational Development will run a half-day workshop on Friday 10 January 2025, from 9.15am to 2.30pm, in person (room TBC). This workshop will focus on equipping attendees with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively support and guide our students.

Register via iTrent self service.

More information

Through interactive sessions and collaborative discussions, you will gain valuable insights and practical tools to enhance your advising practice. This is an opportunity to connect with fellow advisors, share experiences, and learn from experts in the field, enabling the creation of a supportive network that fosters student success and enriches our academic community.

• AI in Music Education and Research – Professor Franziska Schroeder explores AI's impact on music education and her own research.
• Queen's McClay Library – Norma Menabney and Dr Kath Stevenson reveal how AI is revolutionising library services.
• Careers, Employability and Skills – Eimear Gallagher explains how AI is transforming the careers support at Queen’s.

AI Self-help Guides

The AI Self-Help Guides are here to support your journey into AI.

• Using AI to Save Time is designed to help both staff and students use AI to become more efficient in everyday tasks such as writing emails, generating ideas, revision and tutoring, data analysis, visualisation, and more.
• Understanding the impact of AI on my assessment has been developed to offer academic staff a practical and efficient way to assess the potential impact of AI on their assessments.

Find more AI guides and resources on the AI Hub.

EVENT: Embedding AI in Higher Education: Innovation, integration, and impact at Queen’s

Jisc and Queen’s are hosting an event on 5 February 2025 as part of Jisc’s ‘Demonstrating Digital Transformation’ series. This event will highlight Queen’s role in piloting Jisc’s digital transformation framework and will feature lectures, workshops, interactive demos, and discussions. Join the event to explore the latest AI innovations at Queen’s.

Please register here.

Upcoming Training

Remaining 'AI Lunchtime Bytes' sessions for 2024:

• Thursday 28 November, 1.00pm to 2.00pm – AI Foundations: Getting Started with your AI Journey
• Thursday 12 December, 1.00pm to 2.00pm – AI Foundations: Getting Started with your AI Journey

Jisc are also hosting online training sessions in the coming weeks to develop AI literacy. Topics include AI's impact on assessment, boosting productivity with AI tools, and enhancing learners' AI skills. Register for these training sessions here.

New Training Video Catalogue

A new Canvas training video catalogue has been created for staff to access on a self-service basis. Whether you need a refresher or want to learn something new, explore our range of short, on-demand training videos covering Canvas Fundamentals, assignment setup, Turnitin, and more. View the Training Catalogue here.

One-to-one Consultations

Book a 30-minute virtual session with a Digital Learning Developer from your Faculty, School or VLE Pedagogy Support Team (subject to availability).