METIS, NORDFORSK & SOCIAL EVENTS

On the 6th November, the first METIS Collaboration Away Day was held in Edinburgh at the offices of Macmillan in Scotland. Our thanks to Joanne Adamson of Macmillan. The meeting was well attended by the members of the Collaboration. The meeting was chaired by Professor Tom Cox and Dr Sara MacLennan.

The day proved most useful by helping to better define the scope and objectives of the METIS programme. During the afternoon, the award of the Seminar Series funding by the ESRC was discussed and the involvement of the Collaboration fleshed out. The seminar series focuses on social science perspectives on cancer and employment. Following this initial (or Kick Off) meeting for the seminar project, a series of teleconferences were organised for the Executive Group to further develop the content of the seminars, agree the budget and finance arrangements, and the decide a provisional schedule of meetings. The Executive Group involves the lead members from Birkbeck University of London (grant holder) and the universities of Aberdeen and Newcastle.

On the 2nd December, a meeting of the Steering Group for the SCOT-PAIS project was held. This project is a major research and development project being undertaken at Aberdeen and is funded by Macmillan in Scotland. The meeting focused on the completion on the interview survey and the 2 rounds of the subsequent Delphi consultation on the design of a new patient advice and information service for those with urological cancer sin the NW Scotland.

In November, I completed by contribution to the review of applications to NordForsk for substantive funding for research on work and wellbeing. NordForsk is an organisation established by the Nordic Council of Ministers that provides funding for Nordic research cooperation as well as advice and input on Nordic research policy.

Finally, for this period, I was invited to participate in the Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) Annual Winter Ball which was organised by the students at the Imperial Hotel, Blackpool. It was a smashing evening and great to see all those young professionals-in-the-making dressed up. Andrea Quail was voted the ‘LUMS Staff Member of the Year’ by the students. She has been with Accounting & Finance since 1997 and is part of its Undergraduate Support Team. She is pictured here receiving her reward from the Dean, Professor Sue Cox.

Finally, finally, just before the Xmas break, the members of the Centre for Sustainable Working Life held their Xmas lunch at Carluccios in Brunswick Square Bloomsbury. It was a very pleasant way of rounding off a good year.
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