1. Iona McCleery University of Leeds i.mccleery@leeds.ac.uk Making impact out of research

2.  The history of medicine in late medieval Portugal  Medical practitioners  Patient and community health  Healing saints My research

3.  Challenge: how to combat the suggestion (made by British Education Minister Charles Clarke in 2003) that medieval studies is merely ‘ornamental’ to society  Problem: I live in West Yorkshire in northern England. How do I make my work on medieval Portugal interesting and beneficial for local people?

4. Projects should cover at least one of the following areas :  examine the social, cultural, historical and ethical impact of biomedical science;  encourage new ways of thinking about biomedical science;  encourage high quality interdisciplinary practice and collaborative partnerships;  investigate and test new methods of engagement, participation and education. They should also aim to :  stimulate interest, excitement and debate about biomedical science through various methods;  support formal and informal learning about biomedical science;  reach new audiences not normally engaged with biomedical science, as well as continuing to target existing audiences. Wellcome Trust Society Award Funding call on the theme of Eating (Oct 2009)

5. My research and ‘eating’  Portuguese trade in sugar and spices  The blurred relationship between food and medicines  The six ‘non-naturals’ and health  air, food and drink, sleeping and waking, excretion and repletion, exercise and rest, ‘accidents’ of the soul

6. This project stimulates public engagement with the concept of healthy eating, especially the idea of a balanced diet for children, through a series of workshops, talks, exhibitions and festival stalls over three years. The approach will be historical (13 th -17 th centuries), encouraging comparison of the eating habits of past and present peoples to promote healthy eating (grant no. 092293) Wellcome Society Award (2010-2014) You are what you ate: food lessons from the past

7. Key research strands Research Strands  History  Bioarchaeology  Food Science and Nutrition  Re-enactment

8.  Reach  Museum exhibitions: ▪ Sugar & Spice and All Things Nice – 12, 000 people ▪ Dark Side of Eating – 25, 000 people ▪ Food For All Seasons (still running)  Schools activities (Jan 2011 – July 2013): ▪ 45 primary schools (ages 7-11), 3,408 children in workshops  Stalls ▪ 18 events – 10, 635 people  Other ▪ Conferences, osteology workshops, talks – 450 people

9.  Significance  teacher: ‘definite changes in attitude toward food...[a]... boy was eager to try different types of food in the future’; ‘It helped them think more about their bodies and what they eat’.  Children:‘ it let you experiment with cooking’; ‘it made unusual combinations taste brilliant and showed things are nicer than they look’; ‘if you don’t eat your greens you will get holes in your head’.  Adults: ‘I didn't know sweetcorn, tomatoes and peppers weren't from England’; ; ‘combination of intelligent research being disseminated and interesting displays of food. Very good lunch!’.

10.  The challenges of the UK’s Research Exercise Framework  Not seen as a fruitful 2-way exercise (danger of alienating potential partners); limited recognition of collaboration  Need for researcher to have published on the theme and to be able to prove ‘pipeline’ between research and impact; impact has to have taken place while working at the institution in question and within a five year period  Remains difficult for Humanities research and Heritage organizations to prove long-term benefits to the public; evidence is short-term and anecdotal  Public engagement becomes little more than a political exercise and ceases to be an end in itself – it should be fun!

11. Acknowledgements: The Wellcome Trust, University of Leeds, Alex Bamji, Fiona Blair, Louise Bragan, Jo Buckberry, Sally-ann Burton, Janet Cade, Maya Harrison, Jane Howroyd, Axel Müller, Alan Ogden, Vicky Shearman, Gary Williamson, Caroline Yeldham. www.leeds. ac.uk/youare whatyouate