Programme

Dr Victoria McGuinness & Dr Michaela Livingstone-Banks, University of Oxford

You would be forgiven for thinking that social distancing spells the end to your engagement plans - but technology to the rescue! In this session we'll take you through the key steps and considerations for translating your engagement into effective activities for the digital realm, illustrated by examples from TORCH, Oxford Sparks and further afield.

Introduction & welcome: Dr Lesley Paterson, Head, Public Engagement with Research, University of Oxford

Dr Phil Fowler & Carla Wright, University of Oxford

Does your research use images or photographs? Would you like to recruit citizen scientists to help you analyse your images? If so, this session is for you! We will share our experiences of setting up, promoting and running BashTheBug on the The Zooniverse, a free online platform for citizen science projects, which we will demo during the session, and share our experiences of setting up a prototype project on the Zooniverse.

BashTheBug was launched in 2017 and since then over 42,000 people have taken part worldwide classifying over 3.7 million images of M. tuberculosis growing on a range of different antibiotics

Oliver Moore, University of Oxford & Rupert Da Silva, KEEN Oxford

Based on insights from engagement sessions we have run for young people with Additional Support Needs (ASN) for the past three years, we are developing a partnership programme with a local award-winning charity that creates inclusive opportunities for disabled people. The core principles of this partnership are to (1) co-create content with ASN participants themselves, to ensure their needs and perspectives are integral, and (2) move towards more inclusive 'mainstream' opportunities. In this session, we will provide an overview of the programme before opening to discussion with the audience.

Robert Holtom, Narrative Coach

This short introductory and interactive session will reveal how to craft compelling and moving stories. We will examine three key elements necessary for a great story - character, plot and texture - and explore the importance of empathy for connecting with our audiences. Together, all these elements can enhance how you communicate your research to diverse audiences across a range of media and formats, including online and face-to-face events.

Dr Annaleise Depper & Dr Lesley Paterson, University of Oxford

This webinar will provide specific guidance on how to develop, deliver and use an online survey to gather evidence of the impact from a Public Engagement with Research activity and to improve the effectiveness of your activities. We’ll take you step-by-step of how we planned and conducted a previous evaluation which used an online survey, that will enable you to adapt the methodology for your own Public Engagement with Research project. Join this webinar for best practice and top tips – from planning and writing a survey, to synthesising and sharing the results.

Hana Ayoob, Engagement Trainer and Producer

Find out how to tailor your public engagement activities and events to specific communities and audiences in this interactive workshop. We’ll discuss how to decide on who you should work with and why it’s important, before working through how you can tailor your online and face-to-face activities to them. We’ll explore how factors such as location, timing, format and more can raise or lower barriers for different groups and why it’s so important to understand the people you’re trying to engage with.

Professor Richard Watermeyer, University of Bristol

In my latest books, I have argued that the evaluation of societal and economic impact derived from research, articulates a version of the ‘engaged researcher’, which many academics fail to identify with yet are forced to accommodate – an ‘impact phantom’. For this talk, I will discuss both the alienating effects of the impact agenda and the need for the higher education community (everywhere) to disengage from modalities of research-governance that subvert and stymie efforts for a more profitable and sustainable – and crucially, honest public interface. No more is this necessary than in the current milieu of global pandemic and a need to help to mobilise – less hinder – the contribution being made by the university community in alleviating a situation of profound societal distress.

Dr Michaela Livingstone-Banks, & Professor Chris Lintott, University of Oxford

This short webinar, designed for those who have little or no experience of science communication, will take you on a whistle-stop tour of the key ingredients for effective science communication, featuring Chris Lintott (academic and BBC's Sky At Night presenter) to share his experiences and tips. We’ll give you the chance to flex your science communication muscles, give you pointers to online opportunities, advice on where to find support, and answer your questions.

Dr Lesley Paterson, Dr Annaleise Depper, Naomi Gibson & Dr Victoria McGuinness; University of Oxford

Do you need funds to turn your engagement ideas into reality? Unsure as to which of the internal funding schemes are best suited for your engagement project? Come along for a bright and breezy overview of three key internal funding schemes that support Public Engagement with Research at the University of Oxford including their aims; key dates; insights into what the panel is looking for and top tips to increase your chances of success. Take part in a discussion as we explore developing engagement plans and proposals in these pandemic times.

Sophia Collins, Parenting Science Gang

Funded by Wellcome, Parenting Science Gang was a two year project putting parents of small children in charge of the research agenda, and designing and running their own research. Their research ranged from mass spectrometry on the composition of breastmilk, to interviews about the experiences of larger mums in pregnancy and birth. But all of it was led by parents themselves. Come and hear how we did it, and what we learned.

Hosts: Dr Lesley Paterson, Professor Alison Woollard, University of Oxford and Sam Langford, Engagement Practitioner

A brief round-up of the University's Public Engagement with Research opportunities for 2020-21; followed by an online mingle with colleagues and quiz with engagement practitioner and compere Sam Langford.