Connecting our research community
Welcome from Professor Vikas Kumar, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)
Welcome to the June edition of Research Connect. Each issue is an opportunity to share the achievements, opportunities and collective progress that continue to shape our research and innovation community at Portsmouth.
This month’s edition brings together a wide range of activity from across the University, from research successes and new collaborations to research network developments, postgraduate researcher opportunities and upcoming training and development. Together, these updates reflect the breadth of work taking place across our community and the many different ways colleagues are contributing to research excellence, visibility and impact.
This edition also includes a spotlight on our IP and Commercialisation team, whose work is helping to strengthen support for colleagues with promising ideas and to build momentum in innovation across the University. I have written a separate blog alongside this issue to reflect a little more on that progress, including recent achievements, the growth of our spin-out activity and the partnerships that are helping us build for the future.
It was also good to see colleagues come together at the University Sports Day, where the Department of Research and Innovation joined forces with Faculty Directors and Deputy Directors of Postgraduate Research as the “DRInamos - powered by PGRs”. It was a welcome reminder of the sense of community, collaboration and shared purpose that underpins so much of our work.
I hope you enjoy this month’s edition and that it gives you a strong sense of the energy, ambition and progress across research and innovation at Portsmouth.
Latest news
International conference explores the legacy of authoritarianism in Taiwan
From 1 to 3 April, the University hosted the 23rd Annual Conference of the European Association of Taiwan Studies (EATS), bringing together leading international scholars to examine the legacies of authoritarianism in Taiwan forty years on from the eve of the lifting of martial law.
Safeguarding Researchers Engaged in Psychologically and Physically Risky Research at the University of Portsmouth
Researchers from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ) and Psychology are investigating whether existing protections at the University of Portsmouth are sufficient and how policies could be improved to better protect researchers from psychological, physical, and online harms. Although researchers are increasingly exposed to these risks, current legislation, university policies, and institutional support systems are often inadequate. Many universities place responsibility for managing these risks on individual researchers rather than providing comprehensive safeguarding measures. The issue is the lack of adequate institutional safeguarding and support for researchers who face emotional, physical, and digital risks while conducting research.
School of Education, Languages and Linguistics secures £43,000 British Council funding for AELLCA Phase II and III
The School of Education, Languages and Linguistics has successfully completed AELLCA Phase II, a British Council-funded project supporting English language teacher education in Uzbekistan, and has now secured Phase III funding to extend the partnership to Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia.
Celebrating success
Associate Professor Jac Batey’s Sketchbooks acquired by the V&A
Jac Batey is an Associate Professor in Illustration and the MA Illustration Course Leader. Her research interests include zines, artist’s books and drawing. In March 2026, following three stages of rigours peer review, eight of Jac’s sketchbooks were acquired by the V&A. The sketchbooks, which contain work used for the first ten issues of Jac’s Future Fantasteek zine series, will be housed in the museum’s Prints and Drawings collection alongside the likes of Rembrandt, Damien Hirst and Beatrix Potter.
Speaking of the acquisition, Annemarie Bilclough (Curator of Illustration at the V&A) said “The V&A is delighted to confirm acceptance of these striking sketchbooks, which make a valuable addition to our large illustration collection in a range of processes, as well as forming a fascinating visual diary and snapshot of a decade of life in Britain in the 2000s.”
By highlighting the importance of traditional artistic processes and the centrality of the sketchbook to illustrative practice, Jac’s work underscores the significance of human made art in an era of wherein more and more visual practitioners are threatened by an increasing reliance on AI. When not on display in the Museum or loaned to another institution, Jac’s sketchbooks will be available to view on request in the V&As Prints and Drawings Study Room.
View the V&A collections listing
Journal of Economic Criminology Ranked Among the World's Top Law, Criminology and Economics Journals in Its Debut Ranked Year
Colleagues in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice have been at the forefront of developing economic criminology as a distinct sub-discipline — and the Journal of Economic Criminology, founded in 2023, has been a key tool in that intellectual endeavour. Designed as an open-access, interdisciplinary outlet, JEC was created to give researchers studying fraud, corruption, cybercrime, money laundering, and illicit finance a dedicated home — connecting criminology, law, economics, and business rather than sitting within any single one.
Learn more about the journal ranking
New consensus guidelines paper, published in Cell Death & Disease journal
A new consensus guidelines paper, led by Professor Darek Gorecki at the University of Portsmouth and co-authored by more than 25 leading researchers in the purinergic signalling field, has been published in the Cell Death & Disease online journal.
The paper addresses a long-standing challenge in P2XR research: the high degree of methodological variability across laboratories, which has complicated reproducibility and severely hampered clinical translation. Despite P2X receptors representing targets of considerable therapeutic interest - spanning chronic pain, neuroinflammation, cancer, and cardiovascular disease - progress into viable treatments has remained limited. The guidelines cover experimental design, assay selection, pharmacological controls, and data interpretation across the P2X receptor family, with particular attention to species-specific pharmacology and the contextual complexity of receptor expression in vivo. The authors hope the guidelines will be adopted as a community standard, reducing methodologically flawed findings and strengthening the translational pipeline.
Staff spotlight
Meet Dr Binuraj Menon
Earlier this month, we spoke to Dr Binuraj Menon, Senior Lecturer in Biotechnology, about his work in developing biocatalysts and chemo-enzymatic approaches. Read on to learn how these advancements are impacting the wider world.
REF 2029 news
Hidden REF competition open
The Hidden REF is a Research England-funded project which seeks to recognise the important people and outputs that can slip under the radar in formal assessment exercises. As part of the project, a competition takes place every two years to celebrate “all research outputs and everyone involved in their creation”.
The competition’s focus is on everything other than “traditional outputs”, which are defined by the project as academic articles, books and conference proceedings. This means any types of outputs from datasets to software and performances to products; and roles including community-based researchers, research software engineers, technicians, librarians and many more. There is also space for work such as community building, public engagement and research infrastructure to be recognised.
Research funding
New funding for Human-AI teamwork project
A new project led by the University of Portsmouth which will explore how humans and AI can work together in high-pressure security environments has secured £60k funding.
Research network news
UK-wide nucleic acid network launches to connect research, industry and innovation
A new national network led by the University of Portsmouth has launched to accelerate innovation across nucleic acids, bringing together researchers, industry partners and policymakers from across the UK.
Collaborations
Making Connections: Finding Research Collaborators at Portsmouth
Whether you are developing a new project, preparing a funding bid, or expanding your research network, finding the right expertise within the University can make a real difference.
DRI staff spotlight
Meet the IP & Commercialisation team
For each edition of Research Connect, we shine a spotlight on a team or member of the Department of Research and Innovation. This month, we’re featuring the IP & Commercialisation team. Read on to learn who they are and how they can support you.
Postgraduate researcher news
This month’s PGR updates highlight opportunities to connect, collaborate and celebrate research across the University. Learn more about the new Professional and Distance Learning Online Community, created to support researchers studying remotely, and discover how you can get involved in the Annual Festival of Doctoral Research, showcasing the diverse and impactful work of our postgraduate research community. We also hear from one of our PGRs, who reflects on the value of the SASSHPL PhD Seminar Series in building confidence, developing publishing skills and strengthening connections within the research community.
Festival of Doctoral Research
The Doctoral College and the Super Rep Group is delighted to invite you to our celebration of postgraduate research at the University of Portsmouth on Thursday 9 July 2026.
Professional and Distance Learning Online Community
Students studying postgraduate research degrees part-time or at a distance are invited to join our Professional and Distance Learning Online Community.
Publishing, Community, and Confidence: Reflections from the SASSHPL PhD Seminar Series
A reflection on the session by organiser Haneen Alkaraki, PhD Candidate in English Literature.
Training and development
Discover the latest opportunities, resources, and initiatives designed to support researchers’ professional growth, enhance research skills, and strengthen engagement with the University’s research and innovation community.
-
Intellectual Property, Commercialisation and Impact (online)
Monday 6 July 2026
11.00am - 12.00pm
This session provides an introduction and overview of intellectual property/results of your research (IP), why it is important and beneficial to researchers to consider IP early in their research, and how we can protect it.
-
Engagement & Collaboration Research Culture Pillar: Making Research Matter
Tuesday 14 July 2026
9.00am - 3.00pm
Research has the power to change minds, shape policy and shift industries, but only if it's communicated well. With growing importance placed on engagement and impact, this is now a core research skill rather than an optional extra. Whether you're new to engagement or have years of experience, this day is designed to sharpen your skills. This event is for all University of Portsmouth staff and postgraduate research students.
-
Your Research Profile – A Short, Practical Introduction (online)
Wednesday 5 August 2026
2.00pm - 3.00pm
This session will explain what Pure is and why it matters. It will show you how to turn your Pure profile into a clear, accurate snapshot of your work that others can actually use, from collaborators and students to funders and the media. We'll walk through key areas to get you started and that make the biggest difference to how you're found and represented.
-
Pure: Doing the Minimum That Still Works (and why that’s good enough) (online)
Thursday 13 August 2026
11.00am - 12.00pm
This session will build on our introductory session and focus on how a small amount of regular attention to Pure can go a long way. We'll cover the key areas that make the biggest difference to how you're seen. The emphasis will be on realistic habits and shortcuts, what's 'good enough' for most purposes and how to keep your profile quietly working in the background without it becoming another chore.
Department of Research and Innovation
The Department of Research and Innovation (DRI) is here to support, drive and enable research and innovation across the institution.
We provide support throughout the research and innovation process, while also working behind the scenes to ensure systems and procedures are in place so activity runs smoothly and with integrity.
- Funding and Skills – guidance on applying for funding and opportunities for staff development.
- Open and Accessible Research – support with open access , open research, and research data management.
- Turning Ideas into Impact – advice on IP and commercialisation, impact through knowledge exchange, and Pure support.
- Research Culture – promoting integrity, governance and ethics, advancing EDI in research, supporting PGR students, strengthening connections with partners, and sharing updates on qualitative research, current news and events.
Our work underpins the University’s research and innovation priorities and supports colleagues to achieve excellence and impact.
Contact us
Let us know if you have any research culture news or events planned as we’d love to feature it here. Get in touch with Suzi Edwards and Jo Fairwood at [email protected] to discuss further.