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I think that is an important point, Mike. There does not seem to be any additional resource on offer to help with this new strategic commitment. So presumably research organisations will just have to spend less of their money on research in order to carry out more public engagement. I also note that David Willetts has written at the start of the Concordat: "The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is committed to fostering public engagement, recognizing its value for research and society". So that explains why BIS is reducing the real terms expenditure on the Science & Society programme over the next four years! Bob Ward Policy and Communications Director Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE http://www.lse.ac.uk/grantham Tel. +44 (0) 20 7106 1236 Mob. +44 (0) 7811 320346 -----Original Message----- From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Kenward Sent: 28 January 2011 17:15 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Researchers engaging with the public And, how can any research organisation adopt this concordat when the government has imposed an embargo on some important aspects of engagement? For example, glossy magazines have gone at most Research Councils. Not the most pressing issue, but a sign of a general clampdown on communications activities. As I asked one RC chief executive office, how can you have the impact that the government demands if you aren't allowed to tell the community what you do? He couldn't see the sense of it either. We have been through these clamp downs before. (Anyone remember Sir John Cadogan?) It may go away. But any concordat has to be seen in this context. _______________________________ Michael Kenward OBE Have words will travel -----Original Message----- From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bob Ward Sent: 28 January 2011 11:40 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Researchers engaging with the public Chloe, Many thanks for sharing this information. The Concordat is an extraordinary document calling for a major revolution within the research community. I would be amazed if there is currently any research organisation that can demonstrate a strategic commitment to public engagement as described in Principle 1 of the Concordat. To create that commitment would require a change in their missions, strategies and operations as well as the diversion or supplementation of existing resources. In short, it would require a revolution, and a major exercise in change management. Is there anybody on this list who works for a research organisation that can already demonstrate that it fulfils most or all of the criteria set out in the Concordat - I'd like to see what such an organisation looks like. Bob Ward Policy and Communications Director Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE http://www.lse.ac.uk/grantham Tel. +44 (0) 20 7106 1236 Mob. +44 (0) 7811 320346 -----Original Message----- From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chloe Sheppard (RCUK, Strategy Unit) Sent: 28 January 2011 10:44 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Researchers engaging with the public The new Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research aims to create a greater focus on and help embed public engagement with research across all disciplines in the higher education and research sectors. Signed by Research Councils UK, the UK Funding Councils, Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering and British Academy , the concordat provides a single statement of expectations and responsibilities of research funders in the UK. Supporters of the Concordat include Universities UK, The 1994 Group, The Russell Group, Wellcome Trust, Association of Medical Research Charities, Institute of Physics, Royal Society of Chemistry, Society of Biology and Academy of Social Sciences. As research funders, we recognise the benefits of public engagement for research and researchers, as well as society more broadly. We launched the Concordat to build on and strengthen the existing good quality public engagement activity by providing a mandate for universities and research institutes to better value, recognise and support public engagement. The Concordat consists of a set of principles for the future support of public engagement within research organisations (including universities and research institutes) and, under each principle, an explanation of how it may best be embedded into institutional practices, building on the experiences of universities and research organisations across the UK (such as the Beacons for Public Engagement). The importance of implementation is recognised by its inclusion within the Principles themselves. The four principles are: 1) UK research organisations have a strategic commitment to public engagement. 2) Researchers are recognised and valued for their involvement with public engagement activities. 3) Researchers are enabled to participate in public engagement activities through appropriate training, support and opportunities. 4) The signatories and supporters will undertake regular reviews of their and the wider research sector's progress in fostering public engagement across the UK. Our implementation plan includes working with the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement and other partners to engage researchers, research managers, support staff and senior managers over the coming year via conferences, workshops and meetings to champion public engagement in the HE sector in the UK and support those within universities and research institutions to achieve the principles of the Concordat. We have also developed a series of briefings for researchers, research managers, and supporters of researchers and senior Managers. These are on our web page (hosted at http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/per/Pages/Concordat.aspx). A Concordat steering group (with appropriate representation of the funders and sector bodies) is taking strategic oversight of the implementation and will review progress. However, we do not wish to provide additional burden to universities and research institutes through additional reporting. The Concordat therefore states (under Principle 4) that research organisations should themselves monitor and evaluate the efficacy of the public engagement they support in addressing their strategic aims and the extent to which they are meeting the expectations outlined in this Concordat. This Concordat provides a common framework for regular reviews of progress across the sector by the Funders, through existing reporting structures. We also expect research organisations to work together to develop and share good practice in public engagement and in the implementation of the Concordat. Finally, Alongside the Concordat, the National Coordinating Centre has produced a Manifesto for Public Engagement. By signing up to the manifesto, institutions can declare their strategic commitment to public engagement, and access additional support and guidance from the NCCPE. For further information please visit www.publicengagement.ac.uk The NCCPE's website also hosts a wealth of additional resources to support managers and research staff to develop their public engagement activities and institutional strategies. More on the Concordat including a full list of signatories and supporters can be found at http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/per/Pages/Concordat.aspx Best wishes, Chloe Sheppard Chloe Sheppard Senior Policy Manager Public Engagement with Research RCUK Strategy Unit Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon Wiltshire SN2 1ET Email: [log in to unmask] Telephone: 01793 442817 (office) 07827354761 (mobile) Beacons for Public Engagement - recognising, rewarding and building capacity for public engagement. Getting started in public engagement or wanting more support? Find out about best practice and opportunities for training and funding at www.publicengagement.ac.uk RCUK Researchers in Residence - Engaging Tomorrow's Talent Today - bringing researchers, young people and teachers together via exciting and innovative placements in secondary schools across the UK. Get involved today: www.researchersinresidence.ac.uk --Original Message----- From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bob Ward Sent: 27 January 2011 16:13 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [PSCI-COM] Researchers engaging with the public I would be interested to hear views about Monday's Horizon programme which was presented by Paul Nurse (if you haven't seen it yet, it is available to watch here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mgxf). I have seen some criticisms of it (such as it didn't deal with the issues in enough detail), but I thought it was pretty good, particularly as its parting message was that the debates surrounding issues such as climate change and GM are too important to be left to campaigners and columnists, so researchers should engage more with the public and the media. Anybody else have (constructive) views on this? Linked to this, one of my colleagues has flagged up to me the publication by research funders on 7 December of a 'Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research': http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/news/2010news/Pages/101207.aspx I haven't seen any discussion of this on the list. Does anybody know what follow-up there will be and when? Is there an implementation strategy and an assessment of what successful implementation would look like? And does this mean additional resources will be devoted to public engagement activities? Bob Ward Policy and Communications Director Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment London School of Economics and Political Science Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE http://www.lse.ac.uk/grantham Tel. +44 (0) 20 7106 1236 Mob. +44 (0) 7811 320346 Please access the attached hyperlink for an important electronic communications disclaimer: http://lse.ac.uk/emailDisclaimer ********************************************************************** Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive, can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html You may also change your settings and subscribe/unsubscribe to psci-com from the web site. Psci-com is part of the National Academic Mailing List Service, known as 'JISCMail'. 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