Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - OurFuture (European Researchers\' Night: Researchers\' For a Better Future)

Teaser

The “OurFuture: Researchers For a Better Future” Spanish Researcehrs’ Night 2015 actually consisted of the continuation of several successful actions.The activities were organised by five universities, three public foundations, one scientific association, one autonomic...

Summary

The “OurFuture: Researchers For a Better Future” Spanish Researcehrs’ Night 2015 actually consisted of the continuation of several successful actions.

The activities were organised by five universities, three public foundations, one scientific association, one autonomic government and a large scientific infrastructure around Spain as well as a Science Museum. A broad range of activities were offered to the visitors, from science shows, hands-on experiments, demos, simulations, guided tour through labs, dating with researchers, exhibitions, debates, roundtables, conferences, science investigations, workshops, to quizzes and competitions, European corners. About 600 researchers were participating in showcasing their work.
Furthermore, a drawing competition was performed before and after the event.

A special emphasis was set on the 2.0 tools, using games and videos edited in the previous edition of European Researchers’ Night (ERN). These tools, together with the drawing competition, were used to disseminate Friday event activities. The main objective of the project consisted of enhancing the recognition of researchers and their role in society, showing that “Researchers are amongst us”, meaning that they are ”ordinary people” with an extraordinary job, integrated in the social fabric and whose work benefits to the citizens’ daily lives and well-being. As a rule the economic crisis causes all around the world an important budget decrease for research and researchers. This fact is particularly hard in Spain, where the current decrease amounted about 40% in the past three years. Important economic cuts do not help improving the public image of science and scientists; on the other hand, they make people think of what could happen without science and scientists. It consequently proves even more necessary showing the public at large that with no researchers there is no future. On the other hand, the communicative facet of research together with some hands-on experiments were used to bring them closer to the large public enhancing public recognition of researchers and their work, as well as to convince young people to embark on scientific careers. It also allowed settling down amongst researchers that non-communicated research is no research.

Work performed

\"AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Target audiences


o Public at large regardless of age and scientific background;
o Special emphasis will be paid to kids and young people, about making a career choice

Messages conveyed

o Researchers are amongst us;
o Researchers are ordinary people with an extraordinary job;
o Almost anyone can become a researcher;
o Research is fun and fascinating;
o Research is everywhere, including in citizens’ daily lives and well-being;
o Research is especially important in a world faced with economic crisis;
o Stimulate young people to embark to scientific careers;
o Europe cares for its researchers;
o International and European cooperation is fundamental for research activities;

Main communication tools to rely on

Off line

o Publication of articles, announcements, advertising in written press (newspapers and magazines);
o Press releases;
o Direct contacts with regional and local authorities;
o Media relations campaign
o Launch of the drawing competition;
o Direct visits to schools and institutions
o Display of public advertising (public spaces, transport means);
o Display of promotional material;

On line

o Revamping , constant updating and maintenance of project website;
o Links with participants’, institutional and popular websites ;
o Revamping of social networks profiles (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube…),updating and maintenance;
o General electronic mailing;

Promotional material

o Written promotional material such as posters, leaflets, programmes, ;
o Ads, banners, websites, links with other websites;
o Mention of \"\"This European Researchers\' Night project is funded by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions\"\" on all promotional material displayed;
o Promotional gadgets (displayed through the European corner notably), complying with the general guidelines available at http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/services/visual_identity/index.en.htm

Overview of the results

o Conception, realisation of promotional material based on porject\'s visual identiy: posetrs of various formats, programme,s flyers, roll-ups, displayed in public places: primary schools, libraries, civic centres, universities, libraries, bars, shopping malls .. .;
o Public advertising: billboards, citylights, display of promotional material in streets…:
o Sending of invitations to regional authorities , as well as to personnel and students at Universities and Research centres;
o Sending of flyers to primary and secondary school students;
o Organsiation of a press conference at CENIEH (Burgos) and Barcelona;
o Publication of pess releases (over 10);
o Publication of articles, interviews, announcements, advertising in written press: about 40 different newspaper articles in different national and regional press;
o Revamping, constant updating of project website, namely http://EuRN.eu, linked to partners\';
o 32.500 hits and 18.200 unique visitors on projectwebsite website (http://EuRN.eu and some partners’ websites) ;
o Revmaping and constant updating of social network profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr…);
o 1.200 likers on Facebook (different partners facebook pages) and 9.000 followers on Twitter got reached by the information about the celebration of ERN15 ;
o About 1.000.000 people made aware of European Researchers’ Night and its objectives




ACTIVITIES DURING THE NIGHT

List of locations and venues involved

o Àvila: Sierra de Gredos “Pinos Cimeros”
o Badajoz: UEx campus;
o Barcelona: Centre de Culutra Contemporanea de Barcelona
o Burgos: Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana and some rural protected zones.;
o Cáceres: UEx Campus
o Cerdanyola: Museo D’Art;
o Girona: Casa de Cultura;
o Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Parque Santa Catalina
o León: Riolago de Babia (Casa del Parque de “Babia y Luna”
o Lleida: IRBLleida;
o Mérida: Centro Universitario de Mér\"

Final results

Overview of the results

o Collection, analysis and processing of about 1.100 feedbacks through on and off line questionnaires, polls, representing about 5 % of the overall attendace;

o Main conclusions:
o Typology of visitors: mostly families, mainly parents accompanied by kids aged 4-16, balcned distribution amongst genders, most of them already interested in science;
o Knwoledge about the event: word of mouth, information displayed thourgh schools, knowledge form the previous edition;
Most successful activities: workshops with researchers, workshops allowing a tangible outcome for the participants;
o Less successful: exhibition of research projects: specific difficulties in making research results accessible in such a way;
o Based on the statements by the responders, increased interest for scientific careers in particular amongst young people;
o Paeticipation of researchers: active involvement, numerous researchers from different scientific fields, of particular attractiveness toards people aged 16-24.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.lanitdelarecerca.cat - Catalan website.