Grand Challenges Week 2024- Information for Participants

Monday-Thursday

• Grand Challenges will run from 9am-5pm each day. 
• Each challenge has its own timetable of events, which will generally be a mixture of external speakers and time to work on your projects in your groups. Your personalised timetable for the week is now on iExeter. Please contact grandchallenges@exeter.ac.uk if your timetable is not appearing.
• You will be assigned to a group when you arrive on Monday morning and the purpose of the week is to create a project that aims to a make a difference in the area of your challenge topic. You will receive structured support throughout the week from facilitators and students who have previously done Grand Challenges.
• On Tuesday, there will be some optional skills sessions which you can book on to at this link.
• On Thursday, you will have the opportunity to get support from a presentation coach. There are appointments running throughout the day and you can book these by emailing grandchallenges@exeter.ac.uk. They will be allocated on a 'first come first served' basis.
• On Thursday afternoon 14:00-16:00 (Streatham Campus), there is also an optional drop-in Continuing Projects session to find out more about support available for continuing your project following the Grand Challenges Week. 

Friday

07:00 -Coach leaves Penryn Campus to travel to Exeter

09:30-12:30 – Presentations in your Challenge groups

12:30-13:30 – Lunch break, and a couple of students from each group go to the Forum to set up for the showcase

13:30-16:30 - Grand Finale

13:30-14:30 -  Presentations with all Challenges in the Forum Alumni Auditorium

14:30-16:00 – Showcase of projects in the Forum Street with drinks reception

This is a chance to showcase what you’ve done to other students, staff, members of the public and special guests, and to see what students on other Challenges have produced.

As well as giving students a chance to see what all the other challenges have been up to during the week, it is also a celebration event and a great networking opportunity for students. There may be staff attending who are interested in working with students to further develop their projects.

16:30 - Coach departs Streatham Campus to return to Penryn

Instructions to follow when printing

Printing for the week is paid for by Grand Challenges. Each student group will be given a unique user account for logging in to and submitting their work on the Print Services online portal. Students will need to ensure they are submitting any printing using this unique user account, to ensure that they are not charged for the printing themselves. Each student group will be given their unique user account on the Monday of Grand Challenges Week.

On the Print portal website, students will need to select the option ‘show advanced login options’ to login.

• Students should add the GC logo to their outputs, which they can download at this link.
• When submitting requests, students should ensure that they do the following:
• Select the ‘Grand Challenges’ option on the homepage list of product options. If they can’t see the Grand Challenges option, they should ensure that they are signed in with their group’s Grand Challenges print account.
• Make sure that ‘Grand Challenges’ is included in the job title and that the name of their Challenge is in the title of their document.
• Please select ‘pay at store’ as the payment option. The printing will be paid for by Grand Challenges.
• In the ‘special instructions’ box, they should put when they need the printing to be completed by (remembering that it needs to be at least 24 hours’ notice).

Students will be able to collect their printing from the Grand Challenges information point in the Forum Exploration Lab 2 during office hours.

Printing (A3 or less)

Submit requests via the Print Services online portal. Throughout Monday-Wednesday, orders for smaller format printing can be turned around relatively quickly, however 24 hours’ notice is required for any printing towards the end of the week. So:

• Anything needed for Friday morning presentations needs to be sent to Print Services by the end of Wednesday
• Anything needed for the Friday afternoon showcase needs to be sent to Print Services by 12:30 on Thursday.

If they are unable to give 24 hours’ notice, they should email Print Services on printservices@exeter.ac.uk to see if they can accommodate their request.

Ethical protocol

Below is a list of all equipment and facilities available to students during Grand Challenges Week. If you can think of anything else that might be useful for students, please let us know in advance of Grand Challenges Week.

Provided in rooms

The following things will be in the box delivered to each Challenge:

• Registers for each enquiry group
• Copies of master timetables for the Challenge
• Pens
• Whiteboard/Flipchart pens
• Flipchart paper
• Post it notes

Equipment that can be loaned out from the Forum (Streatham)

The following equipment can be loaned out from the information desk in the Forum Exploration Lab 2:

We only have a limited number of each of these, and so students will only be able to borrow them for a limited time and may need to book them in advance to ensure that they are available. Students can book and collect equipment from the central team based in the Forum Exploration Lab 2.

• Cameras and tripods
• Tablets
• Dictaphones
• Stationery
• Crayons
• Scissors
• Coloured paper
• Glue
• Pins

Equipment that can be loaned out from Forum Library

The following equipment can be loaned out from Forum Library. There are a limited number of each thing available, and students can loan these using their student card.

• Action cameras
• Point and shoot cameras
• Gimbals/tripods for smartphones
• Microphones (wired/wireless) for smartphones and cameras
• Microcontrollers, SBCs and electronic components

Video editing

If students are making videos, then there is free video editing software available for them to use – some students may already have these installed on their laptops.

• iMovie – Apple users
• Video editor app – Window 10 or 11 users
• OpenShot video editor
• VideoPad video editor

Students can also download a free version of DaVinci Resolve video editing software to their personal laptops. Please contact grandchallenges@exeter.ac.uk if you have any questions about this.

Penryn Campus

We have a series of cameras, tripods and Dictaphones that are available to loan out. We only have a limited number of each of these, and so you will only be able to borrow for a limited time, and may need to book in advance to ensure they are available. Book and collect equipment from your facilitator.

A small budget is available for students to buy things to support their projects during the week. If a student wishes to buy resources from the Grand Challenges budget, they need to follow the below procedure:

1. Get authorisation for the purchase from their Challenge academics/facilitators.
2. For students based in Streatham, speak to the Grand Challenges Central Team in the Forum Exploration Lab and a member of the central Grand Challenges team will be able to advise the most appropriate way for this purchase to be made. It may be decided that the University ordering it on the student’s behalf is more appropriate than the student buying it and being reimbursed. For students based in Penryn, email the team at grandchallenges@exeter.ac.uk to discuss this.
3. If it is decided that the student will buy and be reimbursed, the student(s) will need to provide a receipt to the Grand Challenges Central Team. The Grand Challenges Team will then organise for the money to be transferred back to the student (it will take a week or two to go through).

There is support and funding available for you to continue working on your projects after Grand Challenges Week. The details of various initiatives at the University that can provide this support are below. 

For students on Streatham Challenges, there will be a drop-in session in Peter Chalk Hub on Thursday 6th June 14:00-16:00 for students to find out more about different University initiatives and teams that can support them. Representatives from all of these initiatives will have a stand at the drop-in event, so students can discuss their projects with them.

Students on the Penryn Challenge can get advice about continuing their projects from SED staff supporting the Challenge.

Support after Grand Challenges

Sustainability Team

If your project is related to sustainability at the University, then the Sustainability Team may be able to support you in taking your project forward. The team works across a range of projects and themes including energy, circular economy, travel and transport, biodiversity, buildings, communications and engagement, and data. Contact sustainability@exeter.ac.uk to discuss further.
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Students as Change Agents/Partners

If the project is focused around change at the University or at the Guild, you can register it as a Students as Change Agents or Partners project. ‘Change Agents’ is for those taking a leading role in running the project, or ‘Partners’ is for those who are working with staff to deliver the project.

Students as Change Agents provides you with training and support, a framework for continuing your project, and their project will be recorded on your degree transcript.

For more information contact changeagents@exeter.ac.uk

Student Start-Ups

If you would like support in developing your project/product/idea or to start-up your own venture – a tech startup, social enterprise or anything in between - the University of Exeter’s Student Startup team can help you! The team offer regular programmes throughout the year that include workshops, advice, connections and access to Grant funding.

Visit www.exeter.ac.uk/studentstartups for further details or get in touch with the team at studentstartups@exeter.ac.uk

Be The Change

Does your project come under the topic of sustainability? If so, Be The Change will be happy to help you continue your project in any way they can. Be The Change are a society focused around campaigning for sustainability in Exeter, both on and off campus, and being student-led society, they are immensely approachable and friendly, and welcome anyone with an idea or passion to make change! Be The Change also have a focus on student's wellbeing, with climate anxiety, eco-grief and impacts of constant exposure of the climate crisis through the media. 

For more information, contact them at bethechange@groups.exeterguild.com

Enactus

If your project is socially focused, it could become one of Enactus' official projects, providing students with the necessary support and guidance to take their idea forward. Enactus can help Grand Challenges students further their projects. Moreover, as a part of the global Enactus network, they can help connect students to resources and opportunities worldwide.

Enactus Exeter is part of a network of student societies in universities all over the world, supporting student-led projects that tackle pressing global issues such as poverty, waste, and homelessness, aiming to create viable, sustainable solutions that can make a real difference. Two examples of their active projects include:

• Biosmart – Fuel Poverty: Operating in Kadzinuni, Kenya, Biosmart aims to alleviate fuel poverty by creating furnaces that turn agricultural waste into Biochar, a sustainable fuel alternative to wood charcoal. This project not only offers a cheaper fuel alternative for locals, but it also counteracts local deforestation.
• The Urban Mushroom Co. – Food Waste: This initiative tackles food waste by using spent coffee grounds collected from local coffee shops to grow gourmet oyster mushrooms in an urban indoor farm. The mushrooms are then sold to local shops and restaurants, creating a circular economy solution to food waste.

Grand Challenges & the Undergraduate Research Showcase

If you are making a research poster during Grand Challenges, then it could be eligible to enter into the Undergraduate Research Showcase, an annual competition that gives you the opportunity to win funded places to present your work at the Houses of Parliament or the British Conference of Undergraduate Research.

If you are considering entering your poster in this competition in the next academic year, that take a look at the guidance and training and criteria for entry  If you have any questions, please contact: UGresearch@exeter.ac.uk

Funding after Grand Challenges

Annual Fund

Thousands of Exeter alumni and supporters of the University help current students through generous donations to the Alumni Annual Fund, by giving gifts of time or money in order to enhance the student experience. To be awarded funding, projects must demonstrate that they will enhance the experience across the wider student community, benefitting current and future generations and making Exeter an even better place to live and study.

A wide range of projects are supported every year – for example they may allow new innovations within academic contexts, provide new equipment for sports clubs or societies, or enable new activities to be piloted. Applications are open year-round on a continual basis - come along and speak to us about how you can get involved.

Contact: annualfund@exeter.ac.uk

Crowdfunding

The University has its own crowdfunding platform which is free for students to use, meaning that your project will receive 100% of donations. Our fundraising team are also on hand to provide help and advice along the way and we will claim Gift Aid on your behalf, giving your fundraising an extra boost.

During Grand Challenges Week, please spread the word about the exciting things that you are getting up to, by posting photos, videos and updates on social media using the hashtag #GCExeter.

You can also send any content that you are happy for us to use on our social media platforms, to grandchallenges@exeter.ac.uk

Please follow us on our channels if you would like to:

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