International Collaboration with Massey University, New Zealand
Dr Heather Buchanan holds an Overseas Scholarship with Massey University NZ. With her colleagues there, she has been awarded two small research grants to support their research on dental anxiety among children. The first is from the NZ Ministry of Health (with Jones and Babbage) is for NZ$ 9,570. The second, from Massey University Research Committee is for NZ$ 4,500.
Topic Centre Occupational Safety & Health
European Agency for Safety & Health at Work (Bilbao)
The consortium of European institutions, that has successfully managed the European Agency’s Topic Centre programme for many years, has won the competitive tender to manage the new Topic Centre on Occupational Safety and Health (TC-OSH). This consortium includes the Institute.
The Institute was one of the first two Lead Organisations when the Topic Centre programme was first launched some 12 years ago. Three years into the programme, it joined a consortium of institutions from across the European Union led by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) and has remained part of the overall programme ever since.
Work on TC-OSH will start in January 2009 and will last for three years. Subject to further negotiation, between 800,000 and 1,200,000 euros will be distributed between the members of the consortium each year according to their contribution to the programme of work.
The Institute’s TC-OSH team is led by Professor Tom Cox, Dr Maria Karanika-Murray and Dr Anne Kouvonen. Professor Amanda Griffiths, Alec Knight and Vida Wong are also involved.
New Funding for Research on Ageing, Health and Work
Professor Amanda Griffiths has secured new funding for her research on ageing, health and work from two sources.
The first concerns the mental health care provided for older people in general hospitals. Professor Amanda Griffiths is part of a team, led by Professor John Gladman from the Division of Rehabilitation and Ageing in the University’s Medical School. She will manage the exploration of staff and management issues, and will employ a full-time Research Associate for 18 months. The project is funded by the National Institute of Health Research Service Delivery & Organisation (SDO) Programme (£450,000).
The second project investigates the experience of work-related stress among older workers. Professor Amanda Griffiths has been awarded funding from Help The Aged and The Age and Employment Network (£ 20,000) to review the recent scientific and grey literatures on work-related stress with a focus on the implications for an ageing workforce. Two Research Associates will be employed (part time) to explore what conclusions we can draw from the published research about the relationship between work design and management, age and the experience of work-related stress.
Institute Research Performance Awards:
Dr Stavroula Leka has received the Institute’s award for Research Funding 2006 with respect to her grant from the European Commission, Framework VI Programme ~ PRIMA-EF. This grant was warded in 2006 for £ 500,000. £ 183,618 was retained by the Institute which was the Lead Organisation.
Dr Iain Coyne has received the Institute’s award for Research Funding 2007 with respect to his grant from the ESRC ~ Bipolar nature of behaviour at work. This grant was awarded in 2007 for £ 214,314. The Institute was the sole organisation involved.
ESRC Success
Dr Maria Karanika-Murray has been awarded an ESRC First Grant of £ 320,000 to develop a multilevel approach to understanding the aetiology of work-related health and well-being.
