Engagers' Digest - 25/2/10

Dear all,

Welcome to another Digest. National Science and Engineering Week and the Festival of Social Science are nearly upon us - 12-21 March. University of Bristol researchers will be at the Mall Galleries, Broadmead for Discover, but many other events are planned around the city. Check the events listings via the links above.

Other news:

1. Engaging Citizens: Research, Media and the Public - 16 March 2010

This free workshop in Milton Keynes, organised by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement, aims to stimulate discussion about the role of the media in engaging the public with research. More information and registration here.

2. Universities Assocoation of Lifelong Learning - Annual Conference - 14-16 March 2010
From widening participation to employer engagement: lifelong learning in higher education. Last chance to register - http://www.uall.ac.uk/

3. Cheltenham Science Festival - Volunteers needed - deadline 29th March 2010

The Times Cheltenham Science Festival is looking for volunteers for 7-14 June 2010. This is a great opportunity to meet leading scientists, gain event and engagement experience, and take part in a world-leading public science festival. Full details in a separate blog post; email luiza.patorski@cheltenhamfestivals.com

4. Institute of Physics' Public Engagement Grant Scheme - deadline 7 May 2010

Do you have a fantastic idea for making physics accessible? Apply for a Public Engagement Grant from IOP. They are worth up to £1000 and aim to support physics-based public outreach activities throughout 2010.
Application forms and guidelines for the scheme are available online at www.iop.org/activity/outreach/, or by e-mailing physics.society@iop.org.

5. National Co-ordinating Centre - Public Engagement Network

Are you interested in joining an online network of people passionate about public engagement and higher education institutions? The PEN is an open forum to raise news, issues and opportunities for discussion. The NCCPE will be posting up news digests every couple of weeks to this list and hopefully encouraging many others to contribute. More information here

And finally, a reminder of those important dates:

Discover 2010: Free, family-focused exhibition celebrating research in the heart of Bristol. 11-13 March, The Mall Galleries Broadmead, and Cabot Circus (13 March). Even if you don't have a stall at Discover, come and support your colleagues and see public engagement in action. To volunteer to help contact Dane Comerford

Bioblitz: Bristol Natural History Consortium's race against the clock to find as many animal and plant species as possible in the Blaise Castle Estate. 21-22 May 2010. We need biologists/naturalists and other volunteers. Contact Philippa to get involved.

Festival of Nature: Europe's largest celebration of the natural world on the Harbourside. June 12-13 2010, with a schools day on Friday June 11. Contact Philippa or Dane to get involved with a stall, activity or talk.

Cheltenham Science Festival - volunteers needed

The Times Cheltenham Science Festival 2010 Needs Volunteers 7-14th June!

Are You…..- Hardworking?- Enthusiastic?- Reliable?- Available 7 - 14 June 2010?

Want to…..- Meet some of the world's leading scientists?- Get involved with one of the best public science festivals?- Gain experience of running events?

As a thank you….- Accommodation and food- Travel expenses- Free entry into events- PLUS great experience

Then get in touch!
Previous volunteers have said…‘A totally random week - full of good experiences - a real team effort. ''I'm still thinking of the fantastic time I had at the Cheltenham Science Festival! '‘I never thought a combination of exhaustion, alcohol, nervous energy and science could be so much fun!’ ‘A fantastic week, have enjoyed every talk/workshop I’ve been to!’

If you're interested, please send your CV and a covering letter explaining why you'd like to volunteer at the festival to luiza.patorski@cheltenhamfestivals.com, by the 29th March. Or call 01242 774624 for an informal chat to find out more.

The Times Cheltenham Science Festival is a five-day extravaganza of science, engineering, technology and arts, with events for adults, schools and for the whole family. Aimed purely at the general public, the festival covers a range of topics from tissue engineering and aerodynamics to the science of chocolate and sleep. We are currently finalising this year’s programme but please visit www.cheltenhamfestivals.com for more information and to view the programme when it is released.

Science Cafe - 22 February - Tobacco Factory - 8pm

Knit a Neuron

Pick up your needles and hooks and bring them along to a different sort of Science Cafe. Meet neuroscientists and discuss the latest research on the brain, make some brain cells, contribute to a comunal art work and help raise funds for a charity.

The Knit a Neuron project is a collaborative science, yarn, art project. We need your help to make hundreds of woolly brain cells. These will be sewn together to make a display which will be used to raise funds for the Head Injury Therapy Endowment Fund. The neurons will be made into an artwork to go on display in the foyer of the (brand new) brain imaging centre, CRIC (Clinical Research Imaging Centre) due to open later this year.

We'll provide the science, the patterns and even the yarn. You bring your needles or hooks and enthusiasm for knit, crochet and science (you can get stash diving if you want - bring along some of those ends of balls of yarn you can't bring yourself to throw away and put them to good use).
Don't worry if it's been a while since you knitted or crocheted, or if you've never done it before, there's plenty you can do, or just come for the chat!

http://knitaneuron.blogspot.com/

Engagers' Digest - 10/2/10

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to another edition of the Engagers' Digest. We have a lot of new people who have joined the list - particularly from the Doctoral Training Centres - welcome. Please do send me any news or engagement opportunities that you would like to circulate to the list.

A number of important dates for your diaries:

Discover 2010: Free, family-focused exhibition celebrating research in the heart of Bristol. 11-13 March, The Mall Galleries Broadmead, and Cabot Circus (13 March). Even if you don't have a stall at Discover, come and support your colleagues and see public engagement in action. To volunteer to help contact Dane Comerford

Bioblitz: Bristol Natural History Consortium's race against the clock to find as many animal and plant species as possible in the Blaise Castle Estate. 21-22 May 2010. Contact Philippa to get involved.

Festival of Nature: Europe's largest celebration of the natural world on the Harbourside. June 12-13 2010, with a schools day on Friday June 11. Contact Philippa or Dane to get involved.

Engage 2010: Annual conference for the University's public engagement community. 23 September 2010, venue TBC. Contact Philippa with proposals/ideas for sessions.

NCCPE Conference: The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement are hosting their first national conference on 7-8 December 2010. More information

News & Opportunities

Fiction Writer-in-Residence in the Science Faculty. Tania Hershman, former science journalist and published author of science-inspired short stories and other fiction, will be spending two days per week in the NSQI, exploring the entanglement of science and short stories. Tania welcomes interactions at all scales, from the micro to the nano. Contact her on TaniaH@gmail.com or http://www.taniahershman.com/

Royal Society Partnership Grants - deadline 5 March 2010
Up to £3000 to support scientists working with schools.

ESRC-NCCPE Research Synthesis: Using segmentation tools for public engagement benefit - deadline 12 March 2010
Applications can be made for up to £15,000 for this research synthesis, with additional funding available for outputs and dissemination, as agreed with the NCCPE and ESRC. It is anticipated that this synthesis will be conducted during the spring and summer of 2010. More information

The UK Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology is offering £500 technical training grants to women to help meet the cost of accessing higher level training, which could include public engagement training.

Capturing research impacts: A review of international practice
HEFCE commissioned RAND Europe to carry out a review of international approaches to evaluating the impact of research. This report presents the findings of the review, based on four case study examples.

The report and action plan from the Science for All Group has just been published. The report and supporting documents can be accessed either from the British Science Association or Department of Business Innovation and Skills websites.

Best wishes,

Philippa

Science cafe - 9 Feb - 8pm - Cryptic photons

Photons - information's best defence?
Speaker: Alex Clark, Electrical and Electronic Engineering

As we head into a new decade we realise that our lives are not only based in reality but stored, manipulated and sent endlessly through the virtual world in the form of information. Our phone calls, bank details, emails, passwords and PINs are constantly being exchanged and reviewed but it is important we ask the question "Is my information secure?"

A new vision of complete security will be offered at February's Science Café by Alex Clark from the Centre for Quantum Photonics at Bristol University. Particles called photons from the quantum mechanical world can carry information in an entirely secure fashion, giving new possibilities for technology.

We'll begin the evening with an introduction to quantum communication from Alex, take part in some demonstrations, and then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of information security and this new quantum communication technology. Check no-one's watching over your shoulder.

Tuesday, February 9th 2010 - 8pm - Cafe-at-Explore

At-Bristol, Anchor Road, Harbourside, Bristol, BS1 5DB. Telephone: 0845 345 1235 (local rate calls) or 0117 915 5000, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.