SUPPORT FOR RESEARCHERS: Engaging the public Raising public awareness of STFC science and technology
Science & Technology Facilities Council Why engage with public audiences? The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) supports science and technology that pushes the frontiers of knowledge. Much of our research is of great interest to the media, public and schools. We want to share the excitement and inspirational value of our science and technology as we seek to:
• Raise public awareness of our work; • Promote scientific literacy and culture and win support for our science & technology; • Engaging and inspiring UK public audiences; • Interest more young people in STEM - related studies and careers; • Demonstrate the benefits and impact of our research to the government & the taxpayer.
We actively encourage researchers funded by STFC or using our research facilities to take part in activities that engage people with science and technology. Research groups who make time for outreach activities often find that they benefit from wider recognition and support from the public and stakeholders and improved uptake of courses. Public engagement can also provide career inspiration, raise your profile, develop your skills and even enhance your research. We offer a wide range of support for the public engagement work of researchers.
• Communications training; • Support for press and schools officers; • Access funding schemes; • Free resources; and • Access to national schemes.
Research Councils UK (RCUK) RCUK works with other funders of research to create a culture where public engagement is regarded as an important and essential activity by the research community. More information on the public engagement work of the RCUK and its partners can be found below:
The Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research which outlines the expectations and responsibilities of research funders with respect to public engagement. http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/per/Pages/Concordat.aspx
Schools and Young people which includes details of RCUK public engagement initiatives and publications for researchers, schools and teachers. http://www. rcuk.ac.uk/per/Pages/Schools.aspx
Public Engagement Resources for Researchers which offers useful guidance and details of schemes from across the Research Councils. http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/per/ Pages/Researchers.aspx
Best Practice Guidelines and Publications to help researchers get the most out of public engagement activities and includes practical guidance on evaluation. http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/per/Pages/Bestpractice.aspx
The National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement [NCCPE] was established in 2008 as part of the Beacons for Public Engagement Initiative. Funded by the four UK Funding Councils, Research Councils UK and the Wellcome Trust the NCCPE helps inspire and support universities to engage with the public. http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/about
Public Attitudes to Science is a series of surveys that aims to understand the general public’s attitudes to science. http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/per/Pages/ PublicAttitudes.aspx Public Engagement and our research communities: We have a strong commitment to engaging the public and schools with the science undertaken using our funding. Though we run our own very active Public Engagement and Communications programmes, we recognise that often the best people to enthuse the public about the science are the researchers themselves. STFC grant-funded researchers: We encourage our research community to undertake public engagement activities and research groups applying for grants are now required to include a ‘Pathways to Impact Plan’ as part of their case for support. The Pathways to Impact Plan should include details of planned Public Engagement/Outreach activities which identify how the economic and societal impact of the proposal will be realised. Further details on this can be found within the STFC Research Grants Handbook. In addition some useful Public Engagement /Outreach FAQ’s on completing your Pathways to Impact Plan can be found at: http://www.stfc.ac.uk/1976.aspx We can provide you with help to plan, and support to undertake public engagement. STFC facility users: Our facilities support a fascinating range of research from biology through to engineering. In getting vital research results, the facility is as much a part of the story as the results are. If you want to raise awareness of how STFC facilities support your research, then we can provide you with help and opportunities to do so. If your public engagement plans concentrate on your research and you do not intend to feature STFC facilities then we encourage you to approach your main grant-funding body’s Public Engagement team. For details of schemes from other research councils visit www.rcuk.ac.uk/sis/default.htm Support from STFC: Communicating your research to engage with the public can happen in many different ways.
You may choose to interact directly with the media or public, or you may choose to work with communications professionals, science communicators or teachers instead. Our Communications and Public Engagement teams offer a range of support and advice, whatever you choose to do.
Working with the media: We promote our science and technology by engaging with the media on all levels, including local press, technical and trade press, government publications, national and international broadcasters.
Our Communications team can offer advice and help on: • getting your research into STFC publications, such as Fascination, our magazine that celebrates the work of our scientists, engineers and laboratories; • writing and distributing news releases to ensure they are picked up; • how and when to organise media briefings; • resources to support media work such as animations, photography and artwork; • co-ordination of publicity with your local university press office, other funding councils, international agencies or journals; • the best routes and opportunities for promoting your work; • engaging with your local MP; and • resources such as publications to support work with schools or public audiences. We have Press Officers at each of our main UK sites, and some of our facilities also have their own communications staff who can provide additional support and resources. Public Engagement: Our Public Engagement team has a wealth of experience delivering and enabling public engagement activities and working with other science communication professionals.
Funding: BSA Media Fellowships: Four award schemes to support Public Placements where scientists spend a Engagement programmes are available to all few weeks of the summer working for researchers who work with STFC: a media organisation. Large Awards Training and Advice: For large scale projects with a significant impact. Royal Society media training and communication Funds of up to £100,000 available. One round skills courses* For learning how the media works and per year. how to work with it, or how to write, present and chair in clear, jargon-free, understandable ways. Small Awards For smaller scale projects or pilots for larger projects. Funds of up to £10,000 We have Public Engagement staff at available. Two rounds per year. each of our main UK sites: They can offer you a wide range of resources, Public Engagement Fellowships advice and support to help you to directly engage For supporting part of a researcher’s time to enable the key audiences of the public, secondary school them to deliver public engagement projects. students and teachers and opinion formers. Royal Society Summer Exhibition Funding to support successful applicants who have won a place at the Royal Society Summer Exhibition. Cristina Lazzeroni, University of Birmingham. Public Engagement Fellow
Roberto Trotta, Imperial College London. Phil Manning, University of Manchester. Public Engagement Fellow Public Engagement Fellow
Maggie Aderin. Public Engagement Fellow Lewis Dartnall, University of Leicester. Public Engagement Fellow
*STFC grant-funded researchers only Printed and web resources: Laboratory visits: We produce and commission teaching Our facilities at Daresbury Laboratory, Rutherford and learning materials that are linked to the UK Appleton Laboratory, the UK Astronomy schools’ curricula but are also suitable for the Technology Centre at the Royal Observatory, public. These include web-based interactive Edinburgh, CERN and the Isaac Newton Group of resources, wall charts, posters and booklets. Telescopes all have active programmes of school Should you wish to order printed publications to activities and open days. We benefit greatly from accompany events and presentations please visit researchers helping with tours, teacher training www.stfc.ac.uk/publicengagement courses, presentations and workshops. For details on each site’s programme and how you can help, Working with schools: please talk to the Public Engagement team. The Public Engagement team collaborate with national educational organisations including the STEM Ambassadors: Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the We encourage researchers to participate in the Science Learning Centre Network to bring STFC STEMNET Science and Engineering Ambassadors science and technology into schools. The team Scheme where you can support school-based deliver and participate in programmes that science and technology activities or act as role- enable schools to see science and technology models and provide mentoring for students. For in action by visiting the laboratories or placing more information visit www.stemnet.org.uk researchers in schools. or talk to the Public Engagement team. The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
STFC’s world class facilities are used by all scientific disciplines and we also provide access to research facilities overseas for UK scientists. As a grant funding body, we fund research into astronomy, nuclear physics, particle physics and space science. The main UK national laboratories are: • Daresbury Laboratory at SciTech Daresbury, Cheshire; • Rutherford Appleton Laboratory at Harwell, Oxford; • UK Astronomy Technology Centre at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh; and We also maintain observatories in Hawaii and La Palma.
STFC works in collaboration with partners including • Diamond Light Source Ltd at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire (in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust); • The European Space Agency (ESA); • The European Southern Observatory (ESO); • The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF); • The Institut Laue Langevin (ILL); and • The European centre for particle physics at CERN, Geneva.
Finding out more: For further details on the Public Engagement and Media Relations support available from STFC, please visit our website www.stfc.ac.uk
Media Relations: Corinne Mosese [email protected] 01793 442870 Lucy Stone [email protected] 01235 445627 Wendy Ellison [email protected] 01925 603232 Visit www.stfc.ac.uk/media
Public Engagement: Swindon Head Office: Neville Hollingworth [email protected] 01793 442175 Daresbury: Alan Brown [email protected] 01925 603488 UK Astronomy Technology Centre: Dan Hillier [email protected] 0131 6688406 RAL: Sophy Palmer [email protected] 01235 445950 Visit www.stfc.ac.uk/publicengagement