Queen's is committed to paying the Real Living Wage.

The Real Living Wage sets a higher rate of pay than the statutory national living wage - it is independently set by the Living Wage Foundation, based on what people really need to get by. 

The University Management Board has approved the implementation of the Real Living Wage rates increase. This means that from April 2024 the University will pay its staff at least £12 per hour.

This increase will be implemented from 1 April 2024. Affected staff in grades 1 to 5 have been contacted individually by People and Culture.

Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) takes place from Monday 13 to Friday 17 May. A range of events, centred around the theme of 'Movement', are now available for booking.

• Headline event: panel discussion 'Moving the Dial on Mental Health' on Thursday 16 May, facilitated by noted BBC/ITV commentator Mark Robson.
• Staff giveaway: A free ice cream (regular cone with sauce) or slushie will be available for the first 100 spectators at the Circusful event on Wednesday 15 May. 

Key details of all MHAW events, including registration links to more information, are below.

The dates of the University Management Board (UMB) meetings for 2023-24 are available on the University Management Board SharePoint site. Minutes will be published following each meeting.

The minutes from the UMB meeting held on 5 March 2024 can now be found here.

Queen's Lanyon magazine is now available in online, digital format. This brand-new digital product – now even more readable in its interactive, digital edition – gives you a great quality, accessible read at the tap of a screen.

This edition's news stories range from how education transformed George Mitchell’s life to the adventures of Queen’s Dragonslayers, plus Jamie Dornan, and more.

Read the Lanyon magazine digital edition here.

The University is currently advertising for the following position internally:

• 24/111819 – Marketing, Communications and Events Co-Ordinator, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EEECS)
• 24/111839 – InQUBate Programme Manager (Maternity Cover), Research and Enterprise

Staff can view internal and external vacancies through iTrent Employee Self-Service.

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Queen’s Technician Awards. These awards recognise the role of technical staff in delivering excellence in Research, Education, Outreach, Sustainability and as Best Newcomer, aligned to Queen's Staff Charter and based on the University's core values.

Nominations are welcome from colleagues and students, including self-nomination. The application form and criteria can be found here.

Email your entry to qubtechnicians@qub.ac.uk before Monday 13 May at 5.00pm. You will receive an email message to confirm receipt of your entry.

The third Queen’s Technician Showcase will take place on Thursday 23 May from 1.30pm to 4.00pm in the Biological Sciences Building, Chlorine Gardens. All staff and students are invited to attend.

This showcase highlights Queen’s technicians and the valuable work they do. The afternoon will include a variety of talks and events, including a poster show, workshops, and demonstrations.

Find out more information on the Queen's Technicians website.

Staff are invited to a Cyclescheme webinar on Thursday 25 April from 1.00pm to 1.45pm, with Emma Jackson from Black Hawk Networks (Queen’s Cyclescheme provider) and Tim Edgar from Big Loop Bikes.

Emma and Tim will be highlighting the opportunities available to staff for purchasing bikes and equipment, with a particular focus on e-bikes and bike commuting.

Find out more and register here: Cyclescheme webinar

Staff are invited to join Belfast City Council, Queen’s Accommodation and the Planetary Health Report Card committee for Sustainable Cooking Classes, taking place in April and May. Learn how to cook more sustainably and use ingredients in ways to prevent food waste, as well as learning top tips for storing leftovers.

Class dates, times and locations are as follows:

• Wednesday 24 April, 2.00pm to 3.00pm, Elms BT9 Sharing Kitchens
• Wednesday 15 May, 2.00pm to 3.00pm, Elms BT9 Sharing Kitchens

Find out more and sign up here.

Queen’s University Belfast is committed to being a leader in sustainability. To celebrate Earth Day on Monday 22 April 2024, staff are invited to take a LinkedIn Learning course to support their personal development in this area – examples are provided below. Think globally, act locally.

LinkedIn Learning – an extensive online learning resource – is available for all Queen's staff. Contact stafflearning@qub.ac.uk if you have any questions about gaining access.

The Swimathon is taking place over the weekend from Friday 26 April, at Queen's Sport. Staff are invited to take part in one of various swim challenges whilst raising crucial funds for its charity partners, Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie, as well as supporting local pools.

Swimathon is open to all, with challenges to suit swimmers of all ages, abilities and experience.

Register for Swimathon here by 1.00pm tomorrow, Tuesday 23 April.

Queen's staff and students will be able to enrol online to Queen's Sport's Summer Scheme here from Tuesday 7 May.

General enrolment will open on Friday 24 May.

Please note that Summer Scheme payments will only be accepted online.

Find out more: Summer Scheme

The Mitchell Institute's Sabbatical Fellowship Scheme for 2024-25 closes to applications on Friday 26 April.

This scheme is open to all Queen’s University Belfast academic staff who have already been awarded Sabbatical Leave by their School during 2024-25.

Read more on the 2023-24 Sabbatical Fellows’ experience and full details on how to apply for the next academic year here.

Staff are invited to the seminar 'Navigating your career path as a student or staff from BAME background', taking place on Wednesday 24 April from 5.00pm to 7.00pm in the Peter Froggatt Centre, room 0G/007. Food will be served and gift items will be available.

The guest speakers are Queen's scholar and academic Dr Linda Oyama (School of Biological Sciences) and Steve Lazars, entrepreneur and Founder of EMEEN (Ethnic Minority Employment and Entrepreneurship Network), Belfast.

Please register here.

Iolra Morra More – Queen's new staff network for linguistic diversity and minority languages – has organised the event 'The Identity and Language Act – Where Now?', to take place on Wednesday 24 April at 1.00pm in the Peter Froggatt Centre, room 02/17. All are welcome. Registration is not required.

At this event, experts will discuss the possibilities and potential stumbling blocks for progress on linguistic diversity in Northern Ireland post legislative change. The speakers are Daniel Holder (CAJ), Pádraig Ó Tiarnaigh (Conradh na Gaeilge) and Isla Parker (University of Edinburgh).

For more information, please contact michaeline.donnelly@qub.ac.uk.

The Digital Experience Insights Survey for all Teaching Staff 2024 is now live. All full-time or part-time teaching staff at Queen’s will have been sent an email with a survey link. If this includes you, please complete the short survey and let the Centre for Educational Development (CED) know your digital experiences and thoughts.

CED knows that demands on your time are very high but if you can spare 10 minutes to gather valued feedback it would be very much appreciated. You can also enter the Digital Experience Insights Teaching Staff 2024 Survey here.

On completion of the survey, all teaching staff can enter a separate prize draw to win Amazon vouchers up to £100. This year there are more prizes to be won.

Queen’s University Belfast has joined Scottish Universities Press (SUP) in an exciting development for Queen's academic monograph publishing. Books published with Scottish Universities Press will be fully Open Access and compliant with REF2029.

Read more on the Library News page here.

Great Victoria Street Train Station will close permanently on Friday 10 May until the new Belfast Grand Central Station opens in autumn. The Europa Buscentre will remain open until that time.

Translink are advising that passengers currently using Great Victoria Street Train Station will be required to use alternative transport options during this period, including walking or cycling from other city stations, such as York Street, Lanyon Place, Botanic or City Hospital or using the bus substitution services or Metro services.

Throughout the coming months there will be road and lane closures around Grosvenor Road, Durham Street, Glengall Street, Great Victoria Street and Sandy Row due to public realm and utility works.

For the latest public health advice and guidance on measles, please visit the NI Direct website.

Institutionally, we have published the following guidance for the Queen's community:

• Measles guidance for staff on the People and Culture website
• Measles guidance for students on the My Queen’s website

Recent posts from Queen's Policy Engagement (QPol):

• Dr Shonagh Hill: Women theatremakers in Northern Ireland – New Podcast Now Available
• Professor Gladys Ganiel, Dr Caoimhe Ní Dhónaill: The Catholic Church has gotten better at saying sorry – but is anyone listening?

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

The Conversation is a news website featuring articles by academics, often republished to global media outlets. Articles by Queen's academics published in The Conversation have been read by 12.5 million people internationally. Read the latest:

• Professor Muiris MacCarthaigh, Eoghan Kelly: Leo Varadkar: the political backdrop to his shock resignation as Ireland's prime minister
• Dr Eithne Dowds: Affirmative consent campaign calls for sexual assault law change in England and Wales – but this approach has pitfalls, too

Queen's Staff Blog provides a space for staff to share our reflections, knowledge and experiences and build a connected University community. Our latest blog celebrates the legacy of Queen's first Vice-President Thomas Andrews, a significant figure in the history of Chemistry:

• BLOG: Celebrating Thomas Andrews: A founder of Queen’s and science in Northern Ireland by Dr Kevin Morgan and Professor Steven Bell from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.

If you are interested in writing a staff blog piece, please contact internalcommunications@qub.ac.uk.

Our latest 'Spotlight on our Staff' profiles feature recent Inclusive Employment Scheme participants Richard Collis and Daniela Tatarkova.

• As part of the Inclusive Employment Scheme, Richard, from the Orchardville Society, has been working in an Admin Support role at Queen’s Sport. Read Richard's profile.
• Daniela was recently a Clerical Assistant in the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work on a placement as part of Queen's Inclusive Employment Scheme. Read Daniela's profile.

Read the latest staff news stories on the Staff News and Community Gateway:

• Queen’s academic awarded UNESCO Gender Equality role
• Queen’s Belfast Region City Deal Celebration
• Dedicated chemistry collective restores and rededicates grave of Queen’s University science pioneer
• Esteemed ex-Queen’s professor AP de Silva honoured with Royal Society of Chemistry blue plaque
• Queen's University Belfast ranks among world’s best in 31 subjects
• New senior appointments
• In Pictures: Staff Excellence Awards 2022-23
• Staff Excellence Awards 2022-23: The Winners
• In Pictures: QGI International Women's Day Networking Lunch
• Queen’s academic awarded honorary CBE for services to Academia and the Arts
• In Pictures: Launch of new Staff Network for the Promotion of Languages and Minority Languages
• Gold for top Queen’s academic

The Communications Office is hosting a virtual training session with The Conversation UK for academics and researchers in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences on Thursday 30 May from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

This interactive session will be led by one of the editors who will take you through what The Conversation is, its origins and aims, what it does and why.

Register via Eventbrite: The Conversation media training registration*

Staff are invited to join this Annual Lecture on Thursday 2 May from 6.00pm to 7.30pm in the Canada Room, delivered by Professor Breandán Mac Suibhne (University of Galway). The title of the lecture is '“One aspect that keeps eluding me: the wholeness, the integrity of that Gaelic past”: Brian Friel agus Iarthar Thír Chonaill' [Brian Friel and West Donegal].

This event is in Irish. Fáilte roimh chách / Everyone is welcome.

Register here: An Léacht Bhliantúil 2024

Staff are invited to the seminar and roundtable discussion 'Youth, Truth, and Society: Avenues toward multidisciplinary, cross-institutional study of polarisation and its antidotes among young people'. This event will take place on Wednesday 1 May from 2.00pm to 4.00pm in the Senate Room, Lanyon Building. Coffee/tea will be provided.

The guest speaker is Dr Christin Scholz, University of Amsterdam, who will present on '(Un)biased processing and handling of polarized information between the pressures of personal beliefs and social influence'. This will be followed by a roundtable discussion led by Dr Jocelyn Dautel (Queen's). 

Find out more and sign up here to attend

The Mitchell Institute invites staff to the following events. More information and registration can be found at the links below:

• In Conversation: Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Tuesday 23 April, 12.00pm to 1.00pm, The Great Hall
• Panel Discussion: Talk4Peace: Innovative Strategies in Transformative Mediation and Inclusive Dialogue, Monday 29 April, 10.00am to 4.00pm, Senate Room, Lanyon Building

The Faculties of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS) and Medicine, Health and Life Sciences (MHLS) are bringing Soapbox Science back to Belfast (outside the Ulster Museum in Botanic Gardens) on Sunday 23 June 2024 and are looking for female and non-binary scientists and engineers, from PhD students to professors and from early career researchers to entrepreneurs, to take part in this grassroots science outreach project.

All you need is a passion for your research and a desire to engage passers-by and public in your work in a fun and informal setting. The organisers will provide speaker training and financial support for props and interactives.

Researchers in EPS should send an expression of interest to Christina Lagunas (c.lagunas@qub.ac.uk) whilst researchers in MHLS should send an expression of interest to Donna Rogers (d.rogers@qub.ac.uk) by Tuesday 30 April.

Staff are invited to the returning Pint of Science event on Wednesday 15 May to join researchers from the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine for an evening of talks on the future of lung infections.

This event will be held in ‘The Wee Bar’ in One Elmwood. Tickets cost £5. All proceeds go to the Pint of Science charity.

For further information, please contact Dr Donna Rogers, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Public Engagement Manager (d.rogers@qub.ac.uk).

Staff are invited to a free, online webinar (with free CEUs) on Thursday 25 April at 7.30pm. The guest speaker is Professor Karel Pančocha (Masaryk University, Czech Republic) who will present on 'Shaping Autism Care in the Czech Republic: Historical Perspectives and Political Influences'.

Find out more and register here.

The next event in the Chief Executives' Club's new ‘Access the Expert’ seminar series will take place on Thursday 25 April from 10.00am to 11.00am in the Senate Room, Lanyon Building, including a Q&A session after the presentation.

The guest speaker is Dr Beatrice Smyth, School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who will present on ‘Environmental challenges – rethinking low-carbon bioenergy solutions’. Find out more here.

This will be a small, informal, roundtable event. Spaces are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To register your interest in attending, please email portia.ellis-woods@qub.ac.uk, indicating any special dietary requirements.

Postdocs and research staff are invited to the Postdoc Society's next Pub Quiz and networking event, taking place on Wednesday 29 May from 8.30pm to late at Pug Uglys, 21 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7EJ. Arrival is recommended from 8.30pm to 8.45pm as tables go fast. The quiz starts at 9.00pm.

Please note: the quiz is hosted and run by Pug Uglys and may cost £1 per person joining. If you plan to attend, please register so the Postdoc Society has an idea of numbers.

Find out more and register here. 

A staff information session on Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks will take place on Tuesday 30 April from 1.00pm to 2.00pm in the Seminar Room, Research and Enterprise Directorate, 63 University Road.

Register for the session here: MSCA Doctoral Networks

Staff are invited to view the latest edition of the new Research and Innovation Newsletter.

This new newsletter provides the entire research community at Queen’s with information on the latest news, announcements and events related to their researcher journey and on Research and Innovation activities at Queen’s.

Subscribe here.

Read this week's summary of funding opportunities and news from the Research Development team.

Join the mailing list.

Researchers at Queen's School of Psychology are interested in the relationship between criminal justice system experiences, emotions and mental health. If you are 18+, have experienced crime and want to contribute to research on crime victims' and survivors' mental health and well-being, the team would like to hear from you.

Sign up here.

Those interested are asked to consider coming into Queen's University to complete the study. The study – lasting approximately 45 minutes – is computer-based and involves completing surveys about your well-being, then playing a game. All participants will receive a £5 Amazon voucher to help offset some of the cost of travelling into Queen's.

Please email kmcgaughey04@qub.ac.uk with any questions.

Researchers from the School of Biological Sciences and the Institute for Global Food Security are looking for volunteers interested in participating in a dietary study of the micronutrients. The primary goal of this study is to track the micronutrient queuosine in the bloodstream.

To take part, or for more information, please email Swathine Chandrasekaran or Professor Brian Green.

Details of ongoing works being carried out across the University campus can be found on the Estates Directorate webpage.

More information: Campus Development: The week ahead.

This week’s new and returning films at Queen's Film Theatre, your cinema on campus.

SHOWING THIS WEEK:

• Back to Black
• Challengers

Produced in partnership with Emmy-nominated studio Fine Point Films, Delivering the Impossible: Agreement 25 is a short documentary film that tells the story of the people behind the delivery of the NI peace conference hosted here at Queen's in April 2023 – including interviews with staff, students and global leaders.

The film captures and celebrates the remarkable collaborative effort from across the University community that made possible the successful delivery of such a high-profile and impactful international conference.

Watch the documentary free on the QFT Player.

The Seamus Heaney Centre invites staff to its Festival of Live Script Readings 2024, taking place on Friday 26 April from 7.30pm to 9.00pm in the Brian Friel Theatre, 20 University Square.

This evening of readings – an end of term celebration – showcases some of the best work in script form by the current MA Creative Writing students. Short excerpts are read and performed by a cast of theatre and screen professionals, directed by Mick Gordon.

Please register here.

The Naughton Gallery's new exhibition is 'Full of Wonder or Full of Plastic? You Decide.', a solo show by American artist Ingrid Hess. This exhibition forms part of the programme of REACH ‘24, the inaugural Arts and Sustainability Festival at Queen’s, and explores the current perils of plastic waste in our oceans.

This exhibition is on display until Sunday 12 May, Tuesdays through Sundays, 11.00am to 4.00pm. All are welcome.

The following learning events are now open for application. Full information and registration can be found via the iTrent links below.

• External Examiners Course: 18 April, 9.00am to 4.00pm – generic course for new or experienced examiners, designed by experts in the fields of HE assessment and examining.
• Introduction to Teaching: 2 to 6 September, 10.00am to 4.00pm – week of supported preparation for staff that have not previously been responsible for delivering a module.
• HEA fellowship claims – online programmes where participants will complete their claim for Fellowship/Associate Fellowship/Senior Fellowship HEA:

AI Detection

While the launch of ChatGPT has ignited a surge of interest in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools and excitement in what they can do, there is an equal level of concern regarding the possibility of an epidemic of AI-based cheating. Professor Phil Hanna (Dean of Education, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences) provides Queen's guidance on the use of AI detection tools, highlighting concerns regarding the reliability and accuracy of AI detection tools.

Turnitin Canvas Plagiarism Framework

Staff are reminded that the Canvas Plagiarism Framework (CPF) is now available for Turnitin assignment setup and submission on Canvas. For more information, learn more here about CPF benefits and refer to the latest guidance.

Staff training delivered by CED, Digital and Information Services and various Digital Learning teams across Faculties is now available to book via the Digital Learning Training Events calendar.

Upcoming training sessions:

• Canvas Assignments: Tuesday 23 April, 2.00pm to 3.00pm
• Canvas Classic Quizzes: Wednesday 24 April, 2.00pm to 3.00pm

Colleagues are invited to register via iTrent for the training course 'Panopto – Editor', taking place on Thursday 25 April.

Panopto is a video content management system that will underpin the University’s lecture capture programmes. This course is a useful follow-up to the Panopto introductory course. You will learn how to trim a recording, edit captions, contents and chapters and how to add content and focus to a Stream.