news 2009

Michael Browne, Head of European Research and Development at UCL said: ?These grants are designed to allow exceptional established research leaders in any field of science, engineering and scholarship to pursue risk-taking, interdisciplinary and pioneering research. The Advanced Grant scheme, in particular, is highly competitive (with an overall success rate of seven percent) and highly prestigious.

A team of UCL researchers say that subliminal messaging is most effective when the message being conveyed is negative. Subliminal images ' in other words, images shown so briefly that the viewer does not consciously 'see' them ' have long been the subject of controversy, particularly in the area of advertising.

PA249/09 Economists have finally proved what most of us have suspected for a long time - when it comes to apologising, talk is cheap. According to new research, firms that simply say sorry to disgruntled customers fare better than those that offer financial compensation. The ploy works even though the recipient of the apology seldom gets it from the person who made it necessary in the first place.

PA 136/09 Despite the global recession and the crisis in the banking sector, consumer confidence in financial services remains intact, according to a report compiled for the Nottingham University Business School. The Financial Services Trust Index 2009, by Professor Christine Ennew is based on 1400 consumer interviews and is the first of its kind to look at simple yes and no answers.

How can the marine environment benefit our physical and mental health' Could understanding rip currents help save lives' What impact will the Wave Hub have on our coast line' These are just a few of the topics that will be discussed as the Plymouth Marine Sciences Partnership (PMSP) showcases pioneering research at its first-ever research symposium, 'Marine Science for a Changing World'.

As technological advances continue to have an impact on marketing research practices, an academic at the University of Birmingham has proposed ways that researchers can make appropriate choices at different stages of the research process. Doctor Eric Shiu, in a new book - Marketing Research, analyses the use of technology-enabled market intelligence, geographic information system, Facebook, Second Life and a new electronic form of consumer data - consumer-generated media (CGM).