Public Engagement
with Research
Chloe Sheppard
RCUK Strategy Unit
www.rcuk.ac.uk/per
RCUK Public Engagement with Research
Strategy – our Vision
• To enable society to value and have confidence in research
processes and outputs;
• For public engagement to inspire young people to pursue research
careers; and
• To increase the societal impact of research by creating a culture
where:
– The research sector and researchers themselves value public
engagement as an important activity;
– An awareness of social and ethical issues informs research
decisions.
RCUK Public Engagement with Research
Strategy – our rationale
• If we involve and listen to the public (and encourage our research
communities to do so) then our decisions and research should be
informed by their views, and therefore more likely to have enhanced
impact in return for the investment.
• Similarly, if we talk with the public (and encourage our research
communities to talk to the public) about the outputs of our research
and their implications and applications then society will share in the
benefits of that knowledge, whether for their health, wealth or
culture, and therefore helping to maximise the impact of that
research.
• And if we encourage researchers to interact with schools to
enrich students’ experiences then we can help improve the supply of
skilled people to the research base and the UK economy and
encourage more to act as informed citizens.
What’s in it for me?
Benefits of public engagement for researchers:
• Skills development
• Career enhancement
• Enhancing your research quality and its impact
• New research perspectives
• Higher personal and institutional profile
• Influence and networking opportunities
• Forming new collaborations and partnerships
• Enjoyment and personal reward
• Additional funding
• Increasing awareness of the value of research
to UK society
• Increasing student recruitment
• Inspiring the next generational of researchers
RCUK Public Engagement with Research
Strategy – our aims
• Aim 1 Recognising and responding to public views – Identify
public attitudes and values to be considered through the lifecycle of
research, and foster debate that will enable public aspirations and
concerns to contribute to Councils’ policies and research strategies.
• Aim 2 Inspiring young people – To help secure and sustain a
supply of future researchers to support the research base that is
critical to the UK economy by encouraging engagement between
young people and researchers.
• Aim 3 Supporting researchers – Achieve culture change in the
HE and research sectors so that public engagement is embedded
alongside research and valued as an important activity through
encouraging researchers to engage with the public and supporting
and rewarding those who do so.
Opportunities for researchers: young people
programmes
•
•
Researchers in Residence
Bringing Cutting Edge Science into the Classroom
- Teacher CPD courses
- Fresh Science online CPD
• RCUK also sponsors:
- Nuffield Foundation Science Bursaries
- British Science Association CREST Awards
www.rcuk.ac.uk/per/schoolsandyoungpeople
Bringing Cutting Edge Science into the Classroom
What is it?
• RCUK researchers have been involved in the development and delivery of teacher CPD
courses on topics such as New Materials and Nanotechnology and Astrophysics.
• Courses have been designed to help secondary school teachers deliver some of the
more challenges aspects of the curriculum.
Fresh Science – online CPD
• helps teachers to stay up-to-date with cutting edge science.
• Provides a source of inspiring lesson materials.
• Facilitates links between teachers and researchers
What does it involve?
• Providing ideas and feedback on the content of courses, giving examples of your own
research.
• Delivering courses to an audience
• Providing materials for teachers to use in their lessons and engaging in online
discussions
For more information on how to get involved:
Email:
Kay Roberts ekayroberts@sky.com
Nuffield Science Bursaries Programme
What is it?
• offers Year 12 students 4 – 6 weeks summer work experience with leading scientific
industries, research institutes and universities, working alongside practising scientists
and engineers on defined projects.
Why get involved?
• Gain good mentoring skills
• Develop communication skills
• Utilise an extra pair of hands to produce data
What does it involve?
• Supervising and managing the workload of a student for 4 – 6 weeks
How can I find out more and get involved?
Visit:
www.nuffieldfoundation.org
Supporting researchers
• Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research
• What’s in it for me?
• Science and Art Festivals
• Beacons for Public Engagement
Beacons for Public Engagement
•
•
•
The Beacons are six university-based collaborative
centres help support, recognise, reward and build
capacity for public engagement work
National Coordinating Centre for Public engagement
captures and shares learning between the Beacons and
across the sector
Successes include universities committing to PE within
their strategies, creating champions, changes to
promotions criteria, job descriptions
and appraisals to recognise PE, creation of prizes and
provision of training and funding to enable researchers to
engage
NCCPE Public Engagement Ambassadors Scheme
(Pilot)
Aims to:
• Support people to develop their skills and experience in public engagement, and to share it
with others by
–
–
•
Support people passionate about public engagement to act as change agents within their
own institution by
–
•
Offering funding to attend events and conferences
Providing networking opportunities
Offering training and resources
Inspire a culture change in how universities engage the public by
–
Building capacity
Aimed at:
• Anyone with a passion and interest in HEI public engagement – including researchers,
support staff, students and those outside HE
• Application forms downloadable from http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/how-wehelp/ambassadors-scheme
Funded by the UK Funding Councils, Research Councils UK and the
Wellcome Trust
NCCPE Public Engagement Network
Aims to provide a space for people passionate about HEI public engagement to:
•
•
•
•
Share events, research and other opportunities
Problem solve
Find others to collaborate with
Share news
Recently launched – and we are currently looking for people who want to be active in the
network.
To join send an email to Listserv@jiscmail.ac.uk with the text
JOIN NCCPE-PEN first name last name
Funded by the UK Funding Councils, Research Councils UK and the
Wellcome Trust
NCCPE Website: Practitioners Toolkit &
Events
Practioners’ Toolkit
Interactive / searchable resource:
• Methods and guides to PE
• Inspirational Case Studies
• Experts
• Funding and training opps
• People’s Profiles
Events programme
www.publicengagement.ac.uk
Pathways to impact
Can public engagement activities be
regarded as pathways to potential economic
and societal impacts?
• Yes, provided that applicants clearly articulate and explain the
specific contribution from these activities to the pathways to
economic and societal impact.
• It is recognised that engaging the public in your research can
improve the quality of research and its impact, raise your profile,
allow the public to act as informed citizens, inspire the next
generation of researchers and develop your skills.
Images generated by nanotechnology projects funded through the Research Councils