Hello hectic psci-commers...

From my experience of both doing outreach as a postdoc and working with the extensive Bristol ChemLabS outreach project www.chemlabs.bristol.ac.uk/outreach (which certainly wouldn't survive without postgrads), I think supervisor attitude is quite an important thing in determining how keen their PhD students are to do outreach. Given the nature of PhD research, you will always tend to get the organised & keen students taking up opportunites for PE in the first instance.

However, there are ways and means within a department to change the way PE activites are viewed. In most science depts Postgrads will be asked or required to do demonstrating to undergrads in labs. If PE/outreach work can be included in this programme, then some supervisors find it more acceptable. This obviously depends on how in demand demonstrating positions are in the first place.

The other angle to recruit more students is obviously pay. ChemLabS pays its students the same rate as laboratory demonstrating. Paying, whilst controversial , certainly encourages some students who otherwise wouldn't have done PE to do it (they are still generally good at it!), and also shows a supervisor this is valued work.

Possibly raises more questions than answers for you there Catherine... happy to discuss more 'off-list'

Happy Science Weeking!

Alison.

---------------------------
Alison Rivett
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From: "O'Mahony, Catherine" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, 4 March, 2009 3:41:01 PM
Subject: [PSCI-COM] Involving Postgrads in outreach activities

I was wondering if others had experienced a reticence by Supervisors of students towards then getting involved in Outreach activities? I've experienced one reaction where there has been a reluctance to let students participate unless they are getting excellent results, are well advanced in their project etc. A question of prioritising time. Do you think this opinion is common? If we are only getting the most efficient students on board then how are we ever to motivate the somewhat apathetic masses?

Best wishes

Catherine

____________________

Catherine O Mahony

University College Cork

Ireland

t: +353 21 490 4682

e: [log in to unmask]

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