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PSCI-COM  August 2010

PSCI-COM August 2010

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Subject:

Re: EPSRC ends public engagement scheme

From:

Chris Stokes <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

psci-com: on public engagement with science

Date:

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:41:08 +0100

Content-Type:

text/plain

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Parts/Attachments

text/plain (89 lines)

Formal pressure on researchers to do public engagement is already well ensconced in the REF. The 'Draft "common menu" of impact indicators' included with the  guidance on submissions for the REF impact pilot exercise is a table listing discrete 'types of impact' and, for each type, 'possible indicators'. One of the types HEFCE have defined is 'Cultural enrichment, including improved public engagement with science and research'. And the possible indicators it lists for this type are:

- Increased levels of public engagement with science and research (for example, as measured through surveys)
- Changes to public attitudes to science (for example, as measured through surveys)
- Enriched appreciation of heritage or culture (for example, as measured through surveys)
- Audience/participation levels at public dissemination or engagement activities (exhibitions, broadcasts and so on)
- Positive reviews or participant feedback on public dissemination or engagement activities

David Willetts has, of course, told HEFCE to take another year to come up with an impact-evaluation that's robust and postponed the REF by a year as a consequence. Some of those who've opposed the impact part of the REF are cheered by this. I'm not holding my breath for a volte-face from HEFCE on impact, though. Still, I can't see you average manufacturing engineer building public engagement of the kinds mentioned above into his/her next big research proposal without some resort to help from outside his/her department. If I were a PE specialist, I'd be beginning to think of ways to insinuate myself in the right quarters.

Chris

________________________________

From: psci-com: on public engagement with science [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Francis Sedgemore
Sent: 11 August 2010 16:04
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] EPSRC ends public engagement scheme



On 11 Aug 10, at 15:18, Michael Kenward wrote:


	You can take the next bit with as big a pinch of salt as you like:
	
	"Public engagement is inherently linked with research, and it has always
	been our intention to integrate it within EPSRC's portfolio."
	


Science and engineering public outreach is nothing if not "inherently linked with research", so the EPSRC's statement is meaningless unless one reads between the lines.

I interpret the statement to mean that the research councils (most likely not just the EPSRC) will no longer fund professional science communicators, but will instead start putting formal pressure on research scientists and engineers to engage in public outreach, and penalising them if they fail to do so.

Now you might say that researchers are already encouraged to engage in public outreach, but, when it comes to RAE bean-counting, public outreach plays little or no part in the formal assessment process. This applies to the UK research councils, and also to the EU through its Framework Programmes. With FP7 I speak from personal experience, having been an evaluator of FP7 bids in the space science and technology field.

What I would like to see are some numbers detailing the financial savings to be made by the research councils in withdrawing support from PEST programmes. As Chris Stokes says, relying on academics to do the public outreach work is unlikely to get results fast. If at all.

My worry is that money earmarked for communications-related activities will be increasingly diverted toward impact-evaluation consultancy fees. One thing you can be sure of in any public spending cuts exercise is that management consultants will continue to thrive.

Francis


-- 
Dr Francis Sedgemore
journalist and science writer
telephone: +44 7840 191336
website: sedgemore.com <http://sedgemore.com/> 

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