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Organisations committed to public engagement
For the duration of our online public engagement event, the list below captures national and regional organisations and research council and professional bodies who are either committed to the public engagement agenda or involved in related activities.
The role of the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) is to inspire a culture change in how universities engage with the public. Whether you're an individual who wants to do some public engagement, or are part of an institution that wants to embed it into your culture, it's worth seeing what others are doing. The NCCPE website contains lots of links to relevant content.
Training Opportunities: Many different training courses exist for people wanting to develop their public engagement skills, from media training to evaluation workshops.
Funding Opportunities: Details of various grants available to support public engagement activity. From small grants of a few hundred pounds to more substantial funding.
Case Studies: Inspiring examples of how universities are approaching their public engagement work.
Relevant Resources: Links to toolkits and resources for public engagement practitioners and beginners.
In addition, your own institution may include related skills training or public engagement events as part of their programme of activities.
Please contact rebecca.owens@vitae.ac.uk with suggestions for additions to our national and regional list which will be shared with NCCPE. Alternatively please feel free to post your own links in the comments box at the bottom this page.
National programmes, activities and training opportunities
The BSA exists to advance the public understanding, accessibility and accountability of the sciences and engineering in the UK. It organises the high profile British Science Festival.
A place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology. Meetings take place in cafes, bars, restaurants and provide a forum for debating science issues. They are committed to promoting public engagement with science and to making science accountable.
Provides a space for adults to take part in informative debates about current science and technology issues. It is a collaboration between the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science), the European Dana Alliance for the Brain and the Science Museum. The latest facilities link the Centre and its events with venues all over the UK.
National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE)
Funded by the individual Research Councils, Research Councils UK and Wellcome Trust, NCCPE is the national coordinating centre for public engagement and the Beacons for public engagement project. Their role is to inspire a culture change in how universities engage with the public. They provide a useful portal of information on national and regional public engagement resources and training events for researchers.
The six Beacons are university-based collaborative centres that are working to support, recognise, reward and build capacity for public engagement. Each Beacon has its own website profiling activities in their region
NESTA Famelab is a national competition to find exciting and engaging science communicators who could become tomorrow's science media stars. You can register your interest for future labs and review last year's entries on YouTube.
Researchers in Residence (RinR), funded by RCUK with support from the Wellcome Trust, brings together researchers, young people and teachers via exciting and innovative placements in secondary schools across the UK.
Sense About Science is an independent charitable trust. They respond to the misrepresentation of science and scientific evidence on issues that matter to society, and work with scientists and civic groups to promote evidence and scientific reasoning in public discussion.
Volunteering as a STEM Ambassador is your chance to promote your skills to young learners, actively encourage them to enjoy STEM subjects, and inform them about the unique career opportunities that are available to them.
Voice of Young Scientists (VoYS) media workshops
Workshops are for post-grads, post docs, or equivalent in first job, who are passionate about science and want to communicate research to a wider audience.
Funding opportunities and training offered by Research Councils and professional bodies
AHRC - Collaborative research training scheme - public engagement training
A targeted call for bids to address training needs in language skills and public engagement. Applications for the Student Led Initiative category are for up to £2000 for funding initiatives run by research students for research students. The 2009 round is now closed.
AHRC - Media training award holders
One day training events are being offered for 3 days in July and involve media interview practice for radio, tips for tailoring messages to non-academic audiences, identifying key messages, writing a press releases etc...
BBSRC - Public engagement awards
An annual competition, offering funds of up to £5000 to support BBSRC-funded researchers, institutes of BBSRC, and BBSRC local coordinators to undertake public engagement activities. Next call for bids TBA.
Courses are tailor-made for BBSRC grant holders, and call upon the skills of practising radio and print journalists to introduce scientists to the workings of the media.
British Science Association - Media fellowships
Fellowships are offered to practising scientists, social scientists, clinicians and engineers and provide placements working with national press, broadcast or internet journalists with the aim of building understanding between science and society.
EPSRC - Partnership for public engagement award
Provides opportunities for active EPSRC researchers to undertake public engagement projects related to their research interests.
EPSRC - Public communication training
Funding provides the opportunity for specialist training e.g. skills needed for addressing public audiences, writing press releases, etc. The EPSRC website offers guidance on appropriate courses. Anyone on a research team (from principal investigator to graduate student) can receive the training when applying for EPSRC research grants.
EPSRC - Public engagement workshops
The British Science Association is running a series of workshops for scientists who currently hold, or plan to apply for, one of the public engagement awards available to EPSRC-funded scientists. These include the Partnerships for Public Engagement (PPE) awards, Senior Media Fellowships and the Public Communications Training fund.
ESRC - Science in society activities
Details of ESRC supported public engagement initiatives including their Festival of Social Science, a one week national event offering conferences, workshops, debates, exhibitions, film screenings, plays, policy briefings and more.
Institute of Physics - Outreach workshops
The course is led by two experienced science communicators/trainers from The Training Group Consortium. The aims of the workshop are to prepare IoP members for participation in public outreach activities and to encourage members 'get out there' and talk to the public.
MRC - Public engagement opportunities for MRC research students/scientists
A range of activities, schemes and programmes for scientists to develop and use their public engagement and communication skills.
Run by leading journalists, these hands-on, two day courses look at how the media works, how to write effectively, how to do media interviews and how to engage in dialogue with the public. Courses are free, including overnight accommodation, to NERC researchers and grant holders and are held six times a year in NERC's Swindon offices.
RCUK Public engagement with research team
The Research Councils are the UK's biggest public funders of cutting edge research in the UK with an annual budget of around £2.8 billion every year. As part of their strategy, they raise the public's awareness of science and innovation, and encourage their involvement in these subjects. Research Council funded public engagement initiatives are listed here.
Royal Society - Communication and media training
This hands-on, one day course for scientists focuses on the skills needed to communicate successfully with the media. This is fully subsidised for Royal Society funded research fellows and professors. Bursaries may also be available for those funded by other funding councils.
Royal Society - Partnership grants
The scheme offers up to £3000 to support teachers, scientists and engineers in working together to inspire young people.
RSC - Education initiatives fund
This fund provides small amounts of financial support for novel educational activities aimed at school and college aged students, with age appropriate chemical science content that is new to the geographical region.
The RSC awards grants of up to £100 per academic year to help Student Chemical Societies stage an "RSC" lecture/event that will benefit/promote chemistry and/or promote the RSC and the Student Chemical Society and help recruit new members.
RSC - Public activities small grants scheme
Open primarily to RSC members and member groups to support activities promoting the public awareness of chemistry and the chemical sciences. Applications are accepted all year round but funds will be awarded on a first come, first served basis from January to December.
STFC - Bursary scheme for media and communication skills training courses
Provides funds for small, local or 'pilot' projects promoting STFC science and technology.
STFC Science in society, small awards scheme
STFC list a number of training courses they may be able to pay for as part of its Science in Society Programme if you are an eligible scientist or engineer.
Wellcome Trust - Narrative skills workshop
Narrative skills to help explain your science. Led by an ex-BBC executive producer, the skills and theory covered here will ensure that people will want to listen to you and your science. Free communication and engagement training is available for all Wellcome research grantholders and their group members.
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