SEPnet Partners:

Herts: Small is beautiful: Engaging Young Carers: An ongoing WP Programme by the Hertfordshire & Kool Carers Author: Mark Gallaway & Rachel Tungate Young Carers are one of the largest and most under-supported groups of young people in UK society today with only 20% of Young Carers getting any assistance from local Government. We discuss the impact that is careering for a sick relative has on these, children in regards to their both their physical and mental health and education. We look at the University of Hertfordshire’s long-term collaborative project with Essex based charity Kool Carers, its aims, its outcomes and the challenges that this group raises.

The : Quantum Enigma Authors: Katarzyna Krzyzanowska, Silvia Bergamini, Andrew Norton We will demonstrate the “Quantum Enigma” board game – a strategy game that we have developed based around the idea of quantum cryptography and quantum computing. In the game, players take the role of engineers, mathematicians, experimentalists and theorists to collaborate to build a working quantum computer, in order to break encrypted messages sent by the enemy during wartime. But one of the players is a spy who is trying to sabotage the project! Players learn about various aspects of quantum technology whilst racing against time to complete their experiments.

Oxford: Spin, attract, levitate: A year in the life of a Quantum Materials Outreach Officer Authors: Kathryn Boast In the summer of 2017, I began working as the ‘Quantum Materials Outreach Officer’ for Oxford Physics. This newly- minted post has been funded as part of an EPSRC platform grant for the research of the quantum materials group. One year on, I am keen to share my experiences of working in this relatively unusual way. As well as showcasing some of the projects I have undertaken over the past year, this poster will explore the benefits and challenges of undertaking outreach and public engagement with a narrow focus on a lesser-known area of physics.

Oxford: Stargazing+ at Oxford Author: Sian Tedaldi The annual Stargazing event at Oxford attracts around 12,000 people to the Department. The event is very popular but in general is only accessed by members of the public who are already engaged with science. Through Stargazing+ we wanted to look at engaging new, under-served, audiences with astrophysics research at Oxford. This has resulted in the Department taking activities to community centres in Oxford’s most deprived areas and a local homeless shelter, as well as tailoring events for children with additional support needs and their families. The poster will highlight key learning points and measures of impact.

Portsmouth: Developing a local Public Engagement & Outreach Strategy Author: Jen Gupta In September 2017 the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the introduced a new 5- year strategy for outreach and public engagement. The strategy provides a framework for a structured programme of activities, with defined aims and intended outcomes. This poster will present an overview of the process undertaken to create the strategy, and summarise the two strands - 'schools outreach' and 'public engagement'.

QMUL: SSFX (Space Sound Effects) Short Film Festival Author: Martin Archer Through partnership with numerous film industry organisations, we challenged the independent filmmaker community to be inspired by and incorporate satellite recordings of the (usually inaudible) sounds of space into creative short films. Physicists study these sounds because of their potential impacts on our technology, known as space weather. Seven very different shorts were selected as part of a (now touring) film festival. The multi-award- winning films from around the world have successfully attracted audiences who wouldn’t normally attend science events, exposing them to space weather research and opening up dialogues between film-goers, filmmakers and scientists.

QMUL: Pale Red Dot Author: Guillem Anglada-Escudé Through partnership with numerous film industry organisations, we challenged the independent filmmaker community to be inspired by and incorporate satellite recordings of the (usually inaudible) sounds of space into creative short films. Physicists study these sounds because of their potential impacts on our technology, known as space weather. Seven very different shorts were selected as part of a (now touring) film festival. The multi-award- winning films from around the world have successfully attracted audiences who wouldn’t normally attend science events, exposing them to space weather research and opening up dialogues between film-goers, filmmakers and scientists.

Southampton: Lightwave Outreach – Highlights of the past 5 years. Author: Dean Clarke The Lightwave team at the University of Southampton has vast experience in delivering engaging outreach in many different forms. In our poster we highlight some of our key events from the past five years including outreach in non- traditional environments, the photonics garden, and building a walk-in infinity mirror. So far in the 2017-2018 academic year Lightwave has engaged with over 3,500 people ranging from primary school children, to the general public and prospective university students. During this time was have continuously evolved our program to deliver exciting workshops and destroy the stereotypes of what it takes to be a scientist.

Southampton: Planeterrella Author: John Coxon tbc

Southampton: The #SotonAstroArt project Author: Sadie Jones The #SotonAstroArt project engages the general public and artists with research techniques which astronomers used back in the 1980’s with clear links to how astrophysics research is done today! The project came about by accident as the University of Southampton (UoS) Astronomy department had over 4,000 POSS/SRC photographic plates that mapped the whole of the celestial night sky that were about to be destroyed. These beautiful relics of astronomy could have been lost forever. However, we managed to save them and instead ‘gave away the whole Universe to artists’.

Surrey: Physics, Marketing and Outreach group - embedding Public Engagement across all research groups Author: Heather Campbell It is often hard to for researchers across departments to engage with outreach and public engagement (OPE). Invariably it is a few keen individuals who participate in OPE. At the we have formed a Physics, Marketing and Outreach group (PMOG) to embed O&PE across our Physics Department. Our PMOG group is formed from O&PE representatives across all our research groups in the Physics Department. PMOG members enable all research groups to engage with O&PE. PMOG meets twice per semester to discuss O&PE. PMOG has designed a five year strategy for Physics O&PE at the University of Surrey.

Surrey: Getting University of Surrey astrophysics research into planetariums Author: Heather Campbell The Astrophysics Group at the University of Surrey, are developing content for planetarium which is based on our research. We are developing five short (three minute) clips for mobile planetarium with high quality, accurate and relevant astronomical content. These are based on some of the ‘big questions’ in astronomy, which are linked to our research. These topics include: Dark Matter, Black holes, Galaxy formation, Clusters, and the local group of galaxies. We are providing freely available research content to inspire and engage a wide range of audiences across the country with exciting research in astronomy.

Sussex: Science On Buses Author: Lily Asquith Physicists and astronomers at the have collaborated with freelance illustrator Toya Walker to decorate two buses in Brighton inside and out with artwork depicting their exciting STFC-funded research. An accompanying website www.scienceonbuses.com features short films of researchers talking about their lives and work, shot by documentary film maker Daisy Asquith. An app allowing people to ask questions and share their theories with scientists was developed for use on the buses and made its off-bus debut at the WOMAD festival in July 2018 in the spin-off 'Science Off Buses' magical theory booth.

External Partners:

Institute of Physics: Public Engagement Author: Olivia Keenan The Institute of Physics coordinate public engagement projects across the UK and Ireland, and also offer grants of up to £3000 for outreach and public engagement projects. We are keen to support projects which relate to our national theme, which will be Big Data in 2019. We often have volunteering opportunities for physicists in the south east and we will have information about how you can get involved. If you would like to find out more about volunteering with the IOP, membership, the IOP’s public engagement grant scheme, or the ways in which the IOP can support your public engagement come and have an informal chat.

Institute of Physics: Improving the gender balance Author: Jess Hamer For more than 25 years, there has been very little change in the proportion of girls studying physics post-16. Only around 20% of students progressing on to A-level have been girls, despite similar success between the genders in previous qualifications in physics and science. We are committed to ensuring that all students have a positive experience of physics. The comparatively low numbers of girls progressing to post-16 qualifications and beyond suggests that, in many cases, girls are having a less positive experience than boys. Social and cultural influences may also discourage girls from continuing with physics. The Institute has published a number of reports investigating the situation, and produced a suite of resources for teachers. We are also running a number of projects aimed at increasing the number of girls that go on to take physics.

Institute for Research in Schools: Author: Laura Thomas The Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) is a charity that enables school students to make a genuine contribution to research that is valued and recognised by the wider scientific community. Hundreds of school students, supported by their teachers and, in partnership with institutions including the and CERN, are actively involved in current science research. Student research has been presented at academic conferences and published in peer reviewed journals. School students have the capacity to contribute as genuine collaborators in science research and there are wide-ranging benefits for the students, teachers, academics and industry partners who participate.

National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement: Engage Researchers' Academy Author: Heather Lusardi Find out more about the Engage Researchers' Academy; a yearlong professional development programme for researchers with a passion for public engagement. The programme creates a challenging but supportive environment for delegates to reflect upon what it means to be an engaged researcher, and to explore the quality and value of engagement. It also supports participants to develop the leadership skills and experience to work with others and improve the impact and relevance of their research.

National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement: Research for All Journal Author: Heather Lusardi Do you have a story to tell about engaged research theory or practice? Find out more about Research for All, an open access journal focusing on research that involves universities and communities, services or industries working together. Contributors and readers are from both inside and outside of higher education. They include researchers, policymakers, managers, practitioners, community-based organisations, schools, businesses and the intermediaries who bring these people together. The journal aims to raise the quality of engaged research by stimulating discussion about the effectiveness of engagement with researchers, research outcomes and processes.

Royal Astronomical Society: Author: Lucinda Offer The Royal Astronomical Society has several important events coming up in 2019 and 2020. In 2019, celebrations to commemorate 50 years since the Moon landings will be aplenty and the RAS will be collaborating with a few events to celebrate it and are open to more. We will especially be focusing on the 100th year anniversary of the RAS funded Eddington expedition with Einstein in 1919 that proved his theory of general relativity. 2020 will also be a big year for the RAS as it will be our 200th year in forwarding Astrophysics and Geophysics. We are excited to share these celebrations with you and the public.

STFC: Public Engagement Author: Elizabeth Cunningham, Neville Hollingworth, Derek Gillespie Showcasing the work of the STFC Public Engagement team: including our strategy for engagement, our evaluation framework and our exploration of the attitudes of STFC’s research community towards public engagement. Also come and learn how STFC can directly support your engagement via our support programmes, funding schemes and free educational resources.