Engagers Digest

Welcome to another Engagers digest, which features opportunities for lawyers, scientists and engineers, and a request for help.

Latest Public Engagement Stories:
Back to the Stone Age: volunteer archaeologists explore our distant past at Avebury and Stonehenge
The Fragmented Orchestra: a giant artwork creates the music of the brain
Our Web of Life: taking giant Jenga into a central Bristol shopping centre

What's On survey
We'd like your help to improve the University's monthly What's On guide. We would be grateful if you could take a few moments to complete our online survey.

Reinventing the civic university. Debate, 1 October 2009
On 1 October NESTA will host a debate with Professor John Goddard, Professor Kathy Sykes and Professor Steve West on the role of universities in regional economic growth. You can register now for the event, which takes place from 4 to 5.30 pm at Novotel Bristol.

The Law Society Charity. Funding opportunity, deadline 2 November
The next deadline for applications to the Law Society Charity, whose aims include educating the public in legal matters, is 2 November 2009.

Ingenious. Funding opportunity, deadline 19 November 2009
Ingenious funds creative public engagement with engineering projects to the tune of £3,000-30,000. See the Royal Academy of Engineering's website for more information.

BBSRC Introduction to the Media. Training opportunity, various dates
BBSRC-funded researchers can take advantage of a free one-day course on media relations. The next courses take place on 29 September, 4 November and 18 November in London. More information is available on the BBSRC's website.

National Science and Engineering Week information sessions. Various dates
If you'd like to find out more about getting involved with National Science and Engineering Week, you can attend one of the information sessions run by the British Science Association; see their website for full details.

Science Communication Conference outcomes
It's now possible to view reports and presentations from the British Science Association's Science Communication Conference 2009, several of which were given by Bristol colleagues.

Sciencelive
You can sign up for Sciencelive, a free online directory of science presenters maintained by the British Science Association.

Science Communication Conference

We've just seen the reports and presentations from the British Science Association's Science Communication Conference, which are now available online.

The University of Bristol was very well represented, with presentations from our very own Gillian Squirrell, Kathy Sykes and Dudley Shallcross, as well as Paul Manners and Sophie Duncan from the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement and Savita Custead at the Bristol Natural History Consortium. All in all, an impressive Bristol turnout.

Sheila Dargan talks about her involvement in SEARCH

SEARCH (Science Engagement and Researching Change) is a two-part project which focuses on science and engineering engagement activities undertaken by university staff and how these impact upon perceptions of engagement work within universities.

The project, run by Kathy Sykes and Gillian Squirrel, set up a number of action research sets around various issues, for example, evaluating public engagement and attracting more diverse groups. Sheila derived a number of personal benefits from her involvement in the project, not least how she could contribute to public engagement in the University and improve her own practice. She believes that researchers acting as advocate for public engagement is a powerful mechanism to encourage colleagues. Her own public engagement work takes place through Bristol Neuroscience, coordinated by Anne Cooke, which is a very good vehicle for researchers with limited time to get involved. Sheila recently expanded her public engagement to South Korea, developing bi-lingual materials and training South Korean students.

Read more about Bristol Neuroscience with an example of their public engagement work during Brain Awareness Week.