Engagers' Digest - 5/5/2011

I hope you have all enjoyed the Easter and bank holiday break, and are looking forward to a summer term packed with engagement opportunities. A big thank you to all who took part in the Changing Perspectives art-science series - pictures and reports will be on our website soon. And congratulations to Anne Cooke of Bristol Neuroscience, winner of the University Engagement Award. More about Anne's work is in this press release - http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2011/7605.html

In this edition of the Digest:

1. Volunteering with the Bristol Natural History Consortium - May and June 2011 [all fields; all levels]
2. Wellcome Trust science writing prize - deadline 20 May 2011 [all fields; all levels]
   
3. Business and Community Engagement CPD Focus Group - 25 May 2011 [all fields; all levels]
4. ESRC Festival of Social Science - funding deadline 3 June 2011 [social sciences; all levels]
5. British Science Festival bursaries - deadline 15 July 2011 [all fields; students]
6. British Science Association Science in Society e-newsletter [sciences, social sciences; all levels]
7. New IPSOS-MORI public attitudes to science report released [sciences; all levels]
   

1. Volunteering with the Bristol Natural History Consortium - May and June 2011
The University is a partner in the Bristol Natural History Consortium and we will have a strong presence showcasing University research at this year's Festival of Nature (17-19 June 2011). We'll also be contributing to this year's Bristol Bioblitz - a race against the clock to find as many species as possible in the National Trust Tyntesfield Estate (20-21 May 2011)

There are a number of excellent volunteering opportunities with BNHC, including volunteering at the Bioblitz, the Festival and the possibility of a free Glastonbury ticket with a new event called 'Meet the Species'. See this blog post for more information - http://centreforpublicengagement.blogspot.com/2011/05/volunteering-with-bristol-natural.html - or go to the BNHC site.

2. Wellcome Trust science writing prize - deadline 20 May 2011
This exciting new competition aims to find the next generation of undiscovered science writing talent. The Wellcome Trust are looking for short articles that address any area of science and would be suitable for publication in the 'Guardian' or the 'Observer' in print and online. You must demonstrate that you have thought about and understood your audience and can bring a scientific idea to life. More information at http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/swp

3. Business and Community Engagement Focus Group - 25 May 2011
AURIL and JISC are running a series of focus groups to shape the development of a new national framework to support continuing professional development for Business and Community Engagement (BCE). They are looking for people to take part in the events.
The focus events are open to all staff involved in BCE activities in higher and further education, Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs) including Research Councils and Beacons for Public Engagement. The event in Bristol is on 25 May - more information - http://bit.ly/eIFXQU

4. ESRC Festival of Social Science - funding deadline 3 June 2011
The ESRC Festival of Social Science will be taking place in 2011 from 29 October to 5 November. Applications to participate in the Festival are now welcome and are available at www.esrcfestival.ac.uk.
Two types of applications are available:
a) Applying for support of up to £2000 -- due 3 June
b) Applying for event to be listed: non-supported -- due 17 June
The Festival welcomes event applications targeting a non-academic audience including young people, third sector, the public, business or government.
The guidelines around the aims of the Festival and how to apply are in the Application Guidelines under Organise an Event.

5. British Science Festival Student Bursaries - deadline 15 July 2011
The British Science Festival student bursary scheme enables Universities to sponsor students to attend the largest annual public science event in Europe - this year in Bradford from 10^th -15^th September- for £350. This price includes Festival registration, accommodation for seven nights and food for the week. Bursary order forms and information about the British Science Festival are available at www.britishscienceassociation.org/studentbursary.

New resources:

6. British Science Association new Scientists in Society e-newsletter is a monthly newsletter designed especially for researchers to keep people up to date with the latest public engagement schemes run by the British Science Association and organisations that share their aim to advance the public understanding and accessibility of the sciences and engineering. Subscribe free by emailing events@britishscienceassociation.org

7. New 'public attitudes to science report' released - see http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/public-attitudes-science-2011

Volunteering with Bristol Natural History Consortium

Volunteering opportunities with the Bristol Natural History Consortium

The University is going to have a strong presence at the Festival of Nature 2011, and is involved with the Bioblitz and with Meet the Species. Any help you can give would be brilliant, and you might even end up at Glastonbury Festival!

Do you have a love of wildlife and natural history? Or do you just enjoy getting involved in the city, helping people and meeting lots of new faces? If so, why not volunteer with the Bristol Natural History Consortium (BNHC) for a great experience this summer?

Bristol BioBlitz 2011

We need volunteers for Bristol BioBlitz at Tyntesfield Estate National Trust, Wraxall on 20^th-21^st May. During this free entry public event, we will be trying to find as many species of wildlife as possible on the estate against the clock and need experienced naturalists to give guided walks and help with species identification, guides to show people around and offer help with using identification keys and stewards to help run the event.

www.bnhc.org.uk/home/bioblitz/bristolbioblitz/get-involved

Bristol Festival of Nature 2011

We also need volunteers to cover a variety of activities at the Festival of Nature at Bristol Harbourside from 16^th to 19^th June. This is the UK’s largest celebration of nature and will see over 100 organisations providing activities and entertainment, a local foods market and the opportunity to rub shoulders with some giants of the wildlife and conservation industry.

www.bnhc.org.uk/home/festival/volunteer

Meet the Species – coming soon!

Keep an eye out for volunteering opportunities around the country with our new Meet the Species events running as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

Events are completely FREE to attend so please bring along your friends and families to unleash Bristol’s wild side this summer.

British Science Festival - student bursaries

From the British Science Association:

I am writing to let you know about the British Science Festival student bursary scheme which enables Universities to sponsor students to attend the largest annual public science event in Europe and experience the full week’s activities. The Festival provides an outstanding opportunity for students to broaden their horizons, meet leading scientists and speakers, engage in debate and discussion about the impact of science in society and enjoy the atmosphere of an event that is extensively covered in the media.

This year the Festival will take place in Bradford from 10^th -15^th September, hosted by the University of Bradford with events taking place on campus, at Bradford College and throughout the city. The theme for the 2011 Festival is 'Exploring new worlds' with all of the events featured tailored for non-specialists, as are the debates, exhibitions and social events - which form such an important part of the experience.

Institutions such as yours have the opportunity to sponsor students who are above the age of eighteen and are studying at any level to attend at a greatly reduced cost of £350. This price includes Festival registration, accommodation for seven nights and food for the week. Bursary order forms and information about the British Science Festival are available at www.britishscienceassociation.org/studentbursary. The deadline for applications is Friday 15^th July 2011.

It would be great if you could pass the details of this scheme on to anyone you think might be interested in this scheme. I can send you some information to send to your students or send some posters to display around the University. Please let me know if you require anything.

For further details about the bursary package, or if you do not wish to be contacted in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.

www.britishscienceassociation.org/studentbursary

Engagers' DIgest - 5/4/11

Dear all,

While Easter eggs are just on the horizon, there is still time for lots of interesting public engagement in April...

Changing Perspectives: connecting art and science - until end April
You have until the end of April to see the two stunning University of Bristol exhibitions of science-inspired art at the Bristol Gallery and Grant Bradley Gallery. Read our piece in this week's Big Issue - centreforpublicengagement.blogspot.com/2011/04/changing-perspectives-exhibitions.html
Over the coming fortnight hear talks on topics as diverse as 'inspired engineering' and 'manipulating biologies'. Knit yourself a neuron or two on Saturday 9 April at the Grant Bradley Gallery, and try your hand at science-inspired fiction at a workshop on 13 April and open mic on 19 April. More information and event details here - bristol.ac.uk/changingperspectives

In the Digest:

1. Beacon for Wales Social Media for Researchers - 11 April 2011 [all fields]
   
2. Universities Week case study requests - deadlines in April and May [all fields]
   
3. Vice Chancellor's Impact Award [all fields]
   
4. ESRC Festival of Social Science - funding deadline June 2011 [social sciences]
5. Nuffield Council on Bioethics - consultation deadline 15 June [sciences, social sciences]
   
6. NCCPE news and resources [all fields]
   
7. Other events

1. Beacon for Wales Social Media for Researchers - 11 April 2011
Social Media for Researchers is organised by the Beacon for Wales and is FREE to attend. There are only 12 places available so contact the Beacon to reserve your place now: 029 20 870 862, beacon@cardiff.ac.uk Trainer: Dr Alice Bell; Monday 11th April 2011, 1.00 – 4.00pm
3.07 Training Suite, Julian Hodge Study Centre, Cardiff University
More information on this Beacon for Wales event listing.

2. Universities Week case study requests - deadlines in April and May
Universities Week - What's the Big Idea? runs from 13-19 June 2011, with the aim of demonstrating how universities impact on the local community and the UK society as a whole. They are looking for case studies of work that illustrate their 4 main themes - society, research, business and the factshare generator. Deadlines for the case studies are throughout April and May. More information here - http://www.universitiesweek.org.uk/Home.aspx

3. Vice Chancellor's Impact Award - deadline 25 April 2011
The Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Award is part of the New Enterprise Competition 2011. Two awards will be made this year, a winner’s prize of £1500 and a runner-up prize of £500 to individuals or groups showing outstanding innovation in creating economic and/or social impact from their research. The Vice-Chancellor's Impact Award is sponsored by IP Group. More information from the Impact Award site.

4. ESRC Festival of Social Science - funding deadline June 2011
The ESRC Festival of Social Science will be taking place in 2011 from 29 October to 5 November. Applications to participate in the Festival are now welcome and are available at www.esrcfestival.ac.uk.
Two types of applications are available:
a) Applying for support of up to £2000 -- due 3 June
b) Applying for event to be listed: non-supported -- due 17 June
The Festival welcomes event applications targeting a non-academic audience including young people, third sector, the public, business or government.
The guidelines around the aims of the Festival and how to apply are in the Application Guidelines under Organise an Event.

5. Nuffield Council on Bioethics consultation - deadline 15 June 2011
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has just launched a consultation on emerging biotechnologies - www.nuffieldbioethics.org/biotechnologies. One of the areas they are looking at is public engagement, asking questions such as - What role should public opinion play in the development of policy around emerging biotechnologies? What public engagement activities are, or are not, particularly valuable with respect to emerging biotechnologies? How should we evaluate public engagement activities? Is there something unique about emerging biotechnologies, relative to other complex areas of government policy making, that requires special kinds of public engagement outside the normal democratic channels? Contribute your views!

6. NCCPE news and resources
Check out the latest news and resources from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement, and subscribe to the mailing list to receive updates yourself.

7. Other events:

Widening Participation through Part-time Provision
Goldsmiths, University of London, Friday 20 May 2011
http://www.uall.ac.uk/

And just a little reminder - we need some light boxes for an exhibition at the Bristol Gallery for 10 days from 14 – 23 October. Please let us know if you can help!

Best wishes,

Philippa

Changing Perspectives exhibitions

In the Big Issue this week....

Science and art – not enemies after all.

Image: Untitled future mutation by Luke Jerram

Two exhibitions open in Bristol this April make it clear that the debate over the ‘two cultures’ of science and art should be long gone. With a range of stunning science-inspired art, the University of Bristol’s Changing Perspectives series shows that while art and science interrogate the world in different ways, they both overlap and push each other in exciting, new directions. From delicate virus particles hand-blown in glass and the personal reflections of medical students confronted by dying patients to haunting drawings of the Alps’ fading glaciers, these exhibitions and the accompanying talks and events bring to light the fascinating work that emerges when artists and scientists get together.

In the Grant Bradley Gallery on Bedminster parade the Changing Perspectives exhibition is inspired by the body. It includes international artist Luke Jerram’s transparent glass viruses that provoke questions about the global impact of virus-borne disease, and research images taken with an eye for the aesthetic that open up microscopic worlds of crawling cells and flowering moulds. Work by medical students, for example the stunning centrepiece by student Rachel Handley, questions the role of the doctor in helping to support a dying patient, while reciprocally, work by patients calls on doctors of the future to see, hear and touch their patients with compassion. You would not be the first to leave the Gallery with a lump in your throat.

The art-science smorgasbord doesn’t end there. A second exhibition at the Bristol Gallery, also part of Changing Perspectives, makes tangible the complex and often abstract worlds of mathematics, physics, chemistry and physical geography. Find out what makes researchers tick through photographic portraits and films, how the equations that describe chaotic systems can be captured in crochet and steel, and what a nano-brush for a nano-dog might look like...

A series of free, public evening events accompany the exhibitions; this week sees two talks - artist Emma Stibbon and glaciologist Giles Brown discussing the fragility and changing nature of our natural environment, and a composites engineer and artist getting to grips with ‘Inspired Engineering’.

Both exhibitions are open until the end of April. More information at bristol.ac.uk/changingperspectives

The Grant Bradley Gallery - 1 St Peter’s Court, Bedminster Parade, BS3 4AQ. Monday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm

The Bristol Gallery – Millennium Promenade, Harbourside, Bristol BS1 5TY. Mon – Fri 10 am – 6 pm; Sat – Sun 10 am – 5 pm.