Engagers' Digest 27/1/10

Hello Engagers,

A bumper issue of the digest this time - hope you find something of interest:

Judge needed for Welsh engagement activities - deadline this week
The Beacon for Wales are looking for an academic to chair the judging panel at their regional judging events in the last week of February and first week of March. Applicants have submitted a basic concept for an engagement activity and will be invited to present their idea in person and discuss with Techniquest, BBC and National Museum Wales how these might be developed.
Contact Bruce Etherington for more information.

Introduction to the Media Course - Tuesday 2 March, 2-5pm
A free, essential introduction to sharing your work with the media, run by University press officers from the Public Relations Office
http://staffdev.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/staffdevelopment/courses/directory/courselist.pl?sect=rs#SD1DIA

Universities Association for Lifelong Learning 2010 Annual Conference: 14-16 March - http://www.uall.ac.uk/
From widening participation to employer engagement: lifelong learning in higher education.
University of Oxford

I'm a scientist, get me out of here! - March 15-26 and June 14-25
Anaward-winning event, funded by the Wellcome Trust, that gets real scientists talking to students, online. Over two weeks scientists can talk to hundreds of school students, without leaving the lab. More information...

Engaging Citizens: Research, Media and the Public
16 March, 10:00am - 6:00pm Milton Keynes
The NCCPE has partnered the Open University and the BBC to run an event aimed at stimulating discussion about the role of broadcast in engaging publics with research. Open to people who have developed projects that have brought together media, publics and research for mutual benefit. More information from the NCCPE site...

AHRC support for student-led initiatives - deadline 25 March 2010
This second round of the Beyond Text Student-Led Initiative scheme will provide up to 10 awards of up to £2000 towards the costs of setting up a student-led training project, activity or event.

Bang Goes the Theory on BBC1
This popular science series is coming back in March, and they would love more researcher involvement. Respond to viewer's questions and get your answers on the telly!
http://beaconsqanda.com/2010

And last but certainly not least, researchers from the School of Biological Sciences have won £19k from the Natural Environment Research Council to involve school students in a national survey of leafminer insects and their 'natural pest controllers'. See their 'Web of Life' site for information about their fantastic previous public engagement activities...

Best wishes,

Philippa

Graduates needed at Coexist

Coexist, housed in the bustling and vibrant Hamilton House on Stokes Croft, is calling for help from new graduates, or people with some time to contribute to their fantastic projects:

Coexist would like to invite all those graduates that have finished their degrees and
are now busting with enthusiasm and knowledge but are lacking something to get
their teeth into. We have several projects within the Coexist project that need
your help. We are forming crack teams to support the existing management here at
Hamilton House in a drive to capitalise on all the hard work that has gone in to
date. So get in touch if you are proactive, energetic and feel motivated by the
core Coexist principle of working openly together for the benefit of the whole.
Email us at info@coexistuk.org immediately and tell your friends!

City of Sanctuary 2010

Bristol is aiming to establish itself as a "City of Sanctuary" in 2010, contributing to the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Organisations and individuals are asked to pledge their support, and contributions from University of Bristol staff and students would be welcomed.

From the City of Sanctuary site:

Bristol - once known as a city of slavery - is growing now into a city of sanctuary. For years Bristol has offered a welcome to people whose lives were in danger in their own countries. The Bristol City of Sanctuary Group is spearheading efforts to see this culture of welcome and hospitality extended to include people seeking sanctuary (asylum seekers and refugees) in our city. City of Sanctuary is a movement to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking safety in the UK. So far only Sheffield has been named City of Sanctuary in UK. In order for Bristol to achieve this status the city needs to achieve certain essential goals.
Our Steering Group invites all organisations, local groups, religious groups, schools, universities, businesses and individuals to join us and help make Bristol proud to be a place of safety.We hope to stimulate opportunities for those seeking sanctuary to participate fully in the life of this city.
The Group is working towards an official launch at Council House, College Green on Thursday 20, May 2010, the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

Contact Forward Maisokwadzo

Engagers' Digest - 13/1/10

Dear all,


Happy New Year and welcome to the first Engagers' Digest of 2010. Please don't hesitate to contact me about your public engagement projects, or if you are looking for funding for your work. I'd be happy to help.

Best wishes,

Philippa



Discover 2010
The University of Bristol's celebration of research will be taking place from 11-13 March 2010 in The Mall Galleries, Broadmead and Cabot Circus, among other venues. We're planning a range of activities for schools and families from interactive stalls to a giant bubble challenge. If you need publicity for events taking place in Bristol during National Science and Engineering Week, or the Festival of Social Sciences, please get in touch with Dane Comerford. Last deadline for submitting stall ideas/proposals is tomorrow, Tuesday 19 January.



British Science Association Award Lectures 2010 - deadline 26 February
http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/web/BritishScienceFestival/WhatsOn/TheAwardLectures2010.htm.htm

Do you know a brilliant science communicator? Nominations for the 2010 British Science Association Award Lectures are now open.

• Joseph Lister Award - Social sciences


• Isambard Kingdom Brunel Award - Engineering, technology and industry


• Charles Lyell Award - Environmental sciences


• Charles Darwin Award - Agricultural, biological and medical sciences


• Lord Kelvin Award - Physical sciences and mathematics

British Science Association Media Fellowships 2010 - deadline 2 March
These 3-8 week Media Fellowships create a greater awareness and understanding of the workings of the media among practising scientists, clinicians, social scientists and engineers. www.britishscienceassociation.org/mediafellows


Royal Society Partnership Awards - deadline 5 March
The Royal Society are looking for enthusiastic teachers, scientists and engineers to collaborate on innovative projects in schools that will help show students how exciting science can be!
The Royal Society can offer up to £3000 to schools as part of its Partnership Grants scheme.
For more information on the scheme, go to http://royalsociety.org/partnership

Engagers' Digest 9/12/09

Welcome to another Engagers' Digest, the last before Christmas.

We're approaching the target of 100 Public Engagement Stories - short case studies about public engagement that help celebrate the University's Centenary. Check out the latest stories:

• Mathematical Ethnographies
• Innocence Day 2009
• Finance for All

Call for proposals - Science Communication Conference. Deadline 21 December 2009
The Science Communication Conference will be held on 24 and 25 May 2010, at Kings Place London. The British Science Association are asking for proposals for sessions on the theme of 'Audiences for engagement', and non-science contributions are welcomed. More details here or contact Alice Taylor-Gee.

Hold your event at the Science Museum's Dana Centre - Feb-March 2010
The Dana Centre are looking to work with external organisations and individuals who share their aim of engaging audiences aged 16 years+ in contemporary science, engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. They will provide the Dana Centre venue free of charge, a duty manager for the night and technical support in order to help deliver the event. The theme for their mid February - March 2010 season will be titled: BRE4TH
http://www.danacentre.org.uk/aboutus/holdyourownevent

STFC Science in Society Fellowships. Closing date 2 March 2010
Fellows act as champions or ambassadors for STFC's science, technology, engineering and mathematics ('STEM') work to schools, the media or public audiences. Find out more here.

STFC also run a bursary scheme for media and communications training, and offer funding for public engagement through their Science in Society schemes. Various deadlines.

Science and Society Consultation - Science for All
Contribute to the Government's Science and Society Consultation, via the Science for All working group's site.

Beyond the Lecture Hall
A selection of papers published as an electronic book from last year's 'Beyond the lecture hall: universities and community engagement from the middle ages to the present day'


Best wishes, have a Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2010.

Philippa