Around thirty colleagues from 20 institutions and 20 subject areas have come together to form the Association for Academic Outreach (AFAO): http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/afao We are currently developing a number of projects and welcome new members, particularly those who wish to participate in collaborative research activities and engage in practice sharing. Membership is free.  

The Association facilitates discussion, research, development and dissemination of outreach good practice by and for academics. Members, who share an active interest and engagement in outreach, are drawn from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and arts and every type of Higher Education institution, predominantly, though not exclusively, within the UK. At a time in which the reasons for engagement in outreach are pressing and expanding, the Association serves members by:

• Sharing examples of good practice through our online index of programmes of Continuing Professional Development, employability, public engagement, recruitment, subject and career promotion and Widening Participation
• Collating and disseminating information on funding for outreach activities
• Facilitating discussion of and rapid feedback on issues through our JISCMail list
• Promoting collaborative research co-authored by members on issues of importance to outreach
• Advocating policy on outreach through short policy papers
• Holding an annual conference that is free to attend at rolling locations in which good practice is shared and developed and research projects organised and disseminated

Membership offers participation in the activities above. To join, simply subscribe to our JISCMail list

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes,

Matthew