Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TRACKS (Tenth Researchers\' night Anniversary for Citizenship in the Knowledge Society)

Teaser

The TRACKS 2015 European Researchers’ night in Piedmont actually consisted of the continuation of 9 previous successful editions of the event in the region, and was built on the experience and exertise acquired in such occasion by the consortium.The events addressed the...

Summary

The TRACKS 2015 European Researchers’ night in Piedmont actually consisted of the continuation of 9 previous successful editions of the event in the region, and was built on the experience and exertise acquired in such occasion by the consortium.
The events addressed the public at large in all its components, with a strong focus on kids and young people, in particular those facing or about to face a career choice.
The main objectives of the project included the enhancing of the public recognition of researchers and their role, in particular its positive impact on citizens’ daily lives and well-being, showcasing researchers as “ordinary people with an extraordinary job”, as well as pointing out the fun and fascinating aspects of research with a view to stimulating young people’ s interest for science and science careers.
The project’s acronym standed for the scientific method that researchers use in their work, the importance of science and technology towards society, the need for society to get involved in science and technology, the route possibly taken by youth for their future and the track that policy-makers and citizens can choose to address in an innovative and democratic way the current challenges.
A broad range of activities was proposed to the audience, amongst which prototypes, exhibitions, games, plays, hands-on experiments, science corners, debates and chats with researchers, presentations, lectures, scientific treasure hunts, thematic workstations, conferences, European corners…furthermore, the audience could enjoy direct meetings with researchers on the web or through the web media prior and after the event.

Work performed

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Tasks undertaken

Target audiences
o Public at large regardless of age and scientific background;
o Special attention to be paid to kids and young people, especially those facing or about to face a career choice;
o In addition key messages addressed to: public organisations, local institutions, local and national media, opinion leaders, policy makers, stakeholders, companies (SMEs).

Messages conveyed
o Researchers are amongst us;
o Researchers are ordinary people with an extraordinary job;
o Research is fun and fascinating;
o Communication is important and implies the development of some specific skills (by and towards researchers);
o Europe cares: careers for its researchers;
o Focus on the Horizon 2020 Challenges;
o Waiting for the Tenth Anniversary of Researchers’ Night.

Main communication tools to rely on

Offline
o Setting up of a dedicated press office;
o Publication of articles, interviews, announcements, advertisement in national and international newspapers (Le Scienze, La Stampa);
o Direct contacts with journalists at both national and international levels (Focus, Nova, TuttoScienze, Wired…);
o Publication of several press releases delivered to a series off media amongst which the most popular ones;
o Participation of a national press conference by all the Italian projects a fortnight before the event (presentation of the project, new activities, quick preview of the most amazing experiments);
o SME Awareness Campaign: elaboration of a Researchers’ Night 2015 kit addressing specifically SMEs (booklet of presentation and coordinated headed paper);
o Local media relations and local awareness campaign conducted by local partners in compliance with general rules established at overall project level.
o Setting up of the travelling exhibit “Ten years of Researchers’Night”, showing the most emotional moments of a 10 years history that was moved from one city to another along two months to promote the upcoming 10th ERN edition in its various venues, ending up in September in the main central square in Torino.

Online
o Revamping, constant updating and maintenance of project website;
o Links with partners’, institutional and popular websites;
o Social networking: editorial planning to constantly update the social network’s profiles of the Researchers’ Night (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr), also through a strong link with the partners’ channels;
o Promotion of the Researchers’ Night through national scientific newscast TG Leonardo;
o Posting of promotional videos interviews on YouTube channel;

Promotional material
o Posters, brochures, programmes and related maps, folders;
o Ads, banners, websites, links;
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, including an institutional roll up reporting the writing “Marie Skłodowska-Curie: an inspiration to follow;
o Promotional gadgets (T-shirts and special 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 and public advertising: programmes, brochures, posters and banners of various formats, depliants, …;
o Public advertising: billposting in public transport;
o Realisation of press releases sent to local and national newspapers, radio and television;
o Publication of advertisng in national written press (La Repubblica, Le Scienze, Giovani genitori…);
o Organisation of a national press conference in Rome (15 September 2015);
o Organisation of pre-events:
o Travelling exhibit “Ten years of Researchers’Night;
o “Waiting for the Night”, a four days-programme of conferences in partnership with EXPO-EXTO in Torino;
o Revamping, constant updating and maintenance of website contents with the

Final results

The TRACKS project aims at promoting the researchers’ role in society – through a Responsible Research and Innovation – and at creating a better understanding of their work among citizens and the public at large. It, therefore, fits perfectly in the Researchers’ Night which has contributed and continues to contribute to the development of a knowledge-society, enhancing the public recognition of researchers and their work and promoting careers for young people. It helps bridging the gap between science and society by uniting in squares and streets of numerous European cities scientists, young researchers, students, teachers and citizens.
The citizens of Piedmont have changed and improved their relationship with the researchers and eagerly await every year the Researchers’ Night to renew the appointment with the world of science.
The data collected every year demonstrate that the Night is the ideal event for researchers to engage all audiences of science in terms of age, gender and education.
The TRACKS project will especially contribute to enhance the public’s recognition of researchers and their work through the following strategies:
− extensive, diversified and active involvement of all the public of science through new advanced communication tools such as the online project “Tracks for the future”;
− presentation of researchers as “ordinary people” with problems, hopes, concerns and passions that belong to everybody through new advanced communication tools such as the online project “The human face of research”;
− stress the idea of public and researchers’ mutual understanding and knowledge;
− illustrate the fascination and fun of researchers’ work to convince young people to embark on scientific careers;
− direct involvement of an increasingly large number of researchers and scientific supporters;
− involvement of local authorities to assign more importance to science within the cultural life of the cities;
− direct involvement of companies and in particular SMEs to illustrate research’s impact on competitiveness, economic growth, and employment;
− exchange of best practices between regions and cities of other Italian and European projects;
− cooperation with neighbouring regions on the awareness campaign in order to reach an ever wider and wider public;
− support to researchers in the design and implementation of their activities;
− provide continuous incentive to researchers to propose new ideas and new interactive tools for public involvement;
− presentation of the Night as a European event involving scientific activities simultaneously in hundreds of cities;
− strong partnership established by universities and experts in communication and organisation of outreach scientific events.
In particular we believe that the formula adopted by the TRACKS project (a mix of online, indoor and outdoor activities dedicated to bringing researchers closer to the general public and to the different stakeholders) fits the main message of the initiative that could be summarised in “Researchers are amongst us”. In particular, the projects The human face of research and the European Coffee Corner for Science offers the public a new way to get in touch with researchers as ordinary people with an extraordinary job.
In addition, TRACKS has the opportunity to organise two subsequent events and to directly involve researchers and society to co-produce the 10th anniversary event in 2015 through the project “Tracks for the future”.
The event is a tool to spread awareness about the European dimension of research and in this context the EU contribution is crucial both from the cultural point of view and for the economic support of the initiative.
The fact that the Night is sponsored and funded by the European Commission greatly facilitates the involvement of local authorities and financial institutions that would not otherwise organize such kind of project on their own.
The promotional

Website & more info

More info: http://www.nottedeiricercatori.it TRACKS website.