1. Public Engagement with Research
Nicola Strafford & Fran Marshall
Public Engagement & Impact Team
Research & Innovation Services
16/05/2019
© The University of Sheffield

2. Outline of session Introduction to public engagement
What skills can public engagement offer?
Examples of public engagement
What makes a good public engagement with research event?
Opportunities for public engagement
Developing an idea for a public engagement event
Evaluating your event
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3. What year of your PGR course are you in?
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4. How much do you know about public engagement?
A lot
Quite a lot
A little
Nothing
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5. Do you think public engagement can help to develop new skills?
Yes
Maybe No
Not sure
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6. Have you done any public engagement before?
Yes No
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7. What is public engagement?
“Public engagement describes the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit” National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement

8. NCCPE film https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=19&v=0VtVIwZQU5g 16/05/2019
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9. Why do public engagement?
Funders & policy makers expect it
Enriches teaching, research and learning
It strengthens the university's identity, and can increase public support for higher education and for research
Research is more relevant to the public
Develops transferable skills
Fun!
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© The University of Sheffield

10. Public engagement
Many different ways of engaging public with research…
Patient and public involvement (PPI) is a type of engagement – expert advice available from academic supervisors and Clinical Research Office
In this context, we’re looking at communicating about your research with a public audience

11. Exercise: What skills can be gained from public engagement?
Write down on a post-it at least two skills that you think public engagement can help to develop
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12. What skills can be gained from public engagement?
Communication skills
Project management skills
Event management skills
Creativity skills
Evaluation skills
Technical skills
Communication skills
Conveying complex ideas in an understandable and accessible way
Speaking without jargon – explaining it to your grandma
Marketing skills – writing a description that will make people want to attend
Presentation skills
Engaging with members of the public
Tailor your topic for the audience
Justifying why your research is important
Responding to questions
Working with partners e.g. artists
Project management skills
Managing a project from start to finish
Liaising with various stakeholders
Event management skills
Considering all aspects that go into making a successful event, e.g. time of day, venue, marketing, bookings, set-up, catering, speakers
Creativity skills
Developing a suitable event for your target audience
Developing an interesting, exciting event that people will want to attend – why will they give up their evening/weekend to come?
Being innovative and coming up with something different
Evaluation skills
Developing an evaluation plan
What needs to be evaluated?
Acting on feedback
Technical skills
Learning to use new technology e.g. making a movie, incorporating technology in your presentation
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13. What skills can be gained from public engagement?
“I project managed the whole exhibit which I have never done before”
“I update and modify the session each year based on feedback from the schools. I am always learning”
“more confidence and being able to try new techniques”
“Further experience of engaging with a broad range of the public/considering how to deliver complex concepts in an accessible and interesting manner”
© The University of Sheffield
16/05/2019

14. What skills can be gained from public engagement?
“It gave me the opportunity to put my research into context and really made me think about the big questions which are relevant to the public.”
“I got so much out of the experience. As a final year PhD student it was so helpful in forcing me to think about the impact of my work, the main interesting findings, and the broader conclusions I can draw from it. It was also good practice to be able to explain my research in clear and non-expert terms which is helpful when meeting other academics who are not in your area.”
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15. Examples of public engagement: Life festival
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16. Examples of public engagement
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17. Examples of public engagement
16/05/2019
© The University of Sheffield

18. Exercise What makes a good public engagement event?
Write on post-its the things that you think make a good public engagement

19. What makes a good public engagement event?
Create a ‘hook’ to draw the audience in
Use audience interaction
Personal stories
Make it relevant & use examples
Be creative
Well organised
What would entice people to come?

20. Public engagement opportunities
Start small and build your confidence
Attend public engagement masterclasses
Upcoming events
FameLab – 2 February
Life festival – April
Storytelling event
Pint of Science – May
Ignite Academy – September 2016
Festival of the Mind – September 2016
Sheffield Festival of Science & Engineering – March 2017
Mobile University – September 2017

21. Exercise: Devising an event around your research
Choose a venue & audience from the list below
Using your area of research … develop a title, event description and format for an event
Venue
Audience
Lecture theatre
Young adults aged 18-30
Barker’s Pool or Fargate
Adults – any age
Moor Markets
Adults – retired
Café or pub
Teenagers
Laboratory
Young children w. parents
Museum
Community groups
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22. Evaluating your event Why evaluate? What to evaluate?
When to evaluate?
How to evaluate?
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23. For more information
Further information, including public engagement toolkits: For any queries contact: Nicola
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24. How much have you learnt about public engagement?
A lot
Quite a lot
A little
Nothing
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25. Do you think public engagement can help develop new skills?
Yes
Maybe No
Not sure
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© The University of Sheffield

26. To
Discover
And
Understand.