Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SCIMFONICOM 2014-15 (SCIENCE IN MOTION FOR FRIDAY NIGHT COMMOTION 2014-15)

Teaser

\"The “SCIMFONICOM 2014-15“ European Researchers’ Night in Serbia in 2015 was managed by the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Institute for Biological Research and Faculty of Physical Chemistry, all three members of the University of Belgrade, with...

Summary

\"The “SCIMFONICOM 2014-15“ European Researchers’ Night in Serbia in 2015 was managed by the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, Institute for Biological Research and Faculty of Physical Chemistry, all three members of the University of Belgrade, with the cooperation of several educational and cultural institutions in the area (such as the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade City Library, the Regional Center for Talents, the French Institute, the Educational Museum, etc.), non-profit humanitarian NGO Youth Association against AIDS, Regional Team for Science, Education and Art Support in Central Serbia and recycling companies.
Under an overall theme, namely “Back to the future\"\", SCIMFONICOM 2014-15 was organized in 2015 in 7 cities (Belgrade, Pancevo, Nis, Kragujevac, Jagodina, Cuprija and Svilajnac) and 6 rural communities (Arandjelovac, Trstenik, Zajecar, Negotin, Valjevo and Krusevac) in Serbia.
A broad range of activities was offered to the general public, main target of the action, which also put a strong focus on kids and young people, in particular those facing a career choice. Amongst such activities: Grand Science Adventure (interactive hands-on experiments and demos in different research fields), Treasure Hunt (win award by solving hands-on experiments); Green Science (hands-on recycling), Scientist in Private Life (visitors accompanying researchers in their hobbies such as cooking with a scientist and photo exhibition \"\"Grow up to a child\"\"), Travel with Science (bus ride in the company of Marie Curie to NIGHT venues), Peek in the Lab (concept of the Universe as a giant laboratory), Science in the living room, Science (in) Fiction, Little researchers (reciprocated visits between two elementary schools from two cities, improving pupils\' communication skills)(substituting the initially planned activity \"\"Professor Balthazar\'s rainbow\"\", classroom from the future (envisioning education in schools of the future as technologically improved, interactive and fun), Media lab (uncovering the interconnections between media, science and citizens\' daily lives) and European Corners (quiz about Marie Curie and Researchers\' Night projects rewarded by a prize, presentations by Marie Curie scholarship winner and researchers involved in EU funded projects in Serbia, accompanied by a workshop). It’s also worth noting that relatively remote rural areas were actively involved in Researchers’ Night through Science Vans (mobile researchers’ teams).
All activities were implemented as initially planned, except for Professor Balthazar\'s Rainbow and related booklet (due to schools\' absence of reactivity) respectively substituted by \"\"Little Researchers\"\" having proved very successful and android game \"\"Collect planets\"\", as well as \"\"Live shows in streaming\"\" (having proved too financially and technically demanding) replaced by Skype video calls;
The main objectives of this Researchers‘ Night of course consisted of bringing closer to one another researchers and the public at large, whichever age or scientific background, consequently tackling the remaining stereotypes about researchers and their job, and pointing out the fun and fascinating aspects of research with a view to stimulating young people’s interest for science and science careers.
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Work performed

\"AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Target audiences
o Public at large regardless of age and scientific background;
o Special attention to be paid to young people, especially those facing a career choice;
o Special attention to be paid to Elementary and Secondary Schools (youth of age 7-18 years) in rural communities

Messages conveyed
o Researchers are amongst us and they are easy to talk to;
o Researchers are ordinary people with an extraordinary work;
o Science is fun and fascinating;
o Scientific research has a great impact on our everyday life;
o Science improve the quality of our everyday life;
o Scientific career is exciting and rewarding.

Main communication tools to rely on

Off line
o Direct mailing to schools, teachers, headmasters in rural communities (launch of competition for hosting the events, based on an the submission of artworks by the kids interested in science and research);
o Direct mailing to educational institutions, teachers, headmasters in Serbia promoting SVan contest and Science future education contest;
o Direct mailing to educational institutions, teachers, headmasters in Belgrade schools promoting The best scholar scientific exhibition contest;
o Sponsorship/partnership search towards media;
o Publication of interviews, announcements and advertising in written media;
o Organisation of press conferences;
o Airing of several interviews, programmes etc. on TV and radio stations;
o Public advertising (schools, public transport, public places);
o Organisation of “pre-events”:
o Life of brain: researchers gave popular science lectures on brain during the Belgrade\'s Brain Awareness Week;
o Walking with science, during the week-end prior to the event;
o Science debates club and workshops in schools (science topics and art crafts on the same themes two weeks prior the event);
o Interactive lectures on themes above during the month September;
o Exchanges of web links, promotional material, posts, pictures, videos, through social networks with other EU funded Researchers’ Nights;

On line
o Revamping, constant updating and maintenance of project website;
o Revamping, updating and animation of social networks profiles (Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc.);
o Publication of on line advertising, linked to the yearly theme chosen;
o Sponsorship search towards electronic media;
o General e-mailing through participants’ networks of contacts and mailing lists;

Promotional material
o Programmes with detailed locations and venues, posters, flyers;
o T-shirts, badges, folders and ecobags branded using authentic visual identity created for RN 2015 in Serbia;
o Banners, ads, promotional material on social networks;
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 Promotional material: posters of various formats, flyers, roll ups, programmes, badges, ecobags, folders, promotional android game \"\"Collect planets\"\" (substituting the announced booklet), displayed in city centre pedestrian zones, schools, faculties, various cultural and educational institutions and among press reporters;
o Public advertising: billboards and citylights (main City streets and biggest shopping centre), posters in public transport vehicles, one vehicle branded by RN 2015 visual identity;
o Pre-events:
o science popular lectures in cultural and educational institutions
o hands-on experiments in pedestrian city zones during the weekend prior to event;
o Contests (SVan, Science Future Education, The best scholar scientific exhibition);
o Workshops, debate and interactive lectures in Belgrade\'s schools;
o Drummers walk in main city street;
o Promotion during public events:
o Training Day in Cuprija (also trainin\"

Final results

OVERVIEW OF THE RESULTS FOR PERIOD 2

• Organization of the activities planned as foreseen in the Grant Agreement Annex I part B;

• 2.500.000 people were made aware of the Researchers\' night and its objectives;

• Over 33.500 attendees having taken part to the activities offered, distributed as follows:
• 15.000 in Belgrade;
• 7.000 in Nis:
• 2.000 in Kragujevac;
• 2.500 in Pancevo;
• 1.500 in Jagodina;
• 2.000 in Cuprija;
• 1.000 in Svilajnac;
• 2.500 in SVans;

• Collection and processing of 2.299 feedback, namely 1.688 questionnaires correctly filled in and 611 face-to-face interviews;


OVERVIEW OF THE FINAL RESULTS (2 events)

• Organization of the activities planned as foreseen in the Grant Agreement Annex I part B;

• 2.500.000 people made aware of the Researchers\' night and its objectives;

• 69.000 attendees during the 2 events;

• Activities during the 2 events included:
• 200 hands-on experiments;
• 40 demos;
• 20 popular science lectures;
• 20 workshops;
• 8 exhibitions, 5 competitions, 8 interactive presentations;
• 5 performances, 4 debates, 3 quizzes, 2 games;

All activities addressing audience aged as from 3, except for quizzes, lectures and debates addressing people over 7;

•Organisation of 23 European corners during the 2 events, approximately gathering 29.000 attendees;

• Total of 300 researchers was actively involved in the activities, of which:
• 1 researcher having benefited from Marie Curie scheme:
• 15 researchers having benefited from support under FP7/HORIZON 2020;

MAIN CONCLUSIONS FOR PERIOD 2

• Typology of visitors: 54% female, 46% male, average age 14,62 years (youngest 3, oldest 68 years old), education (preschool 1,8%, elementary school 56,5%, high school 35,7%, higher education 6%), scientific background (none 56,2%, low 41,8%, high 2%), geographical origin (Serbian urban 61,4%, Serbian rural 38,6%), interests (sports 8,1%, education 9,8%, science and research 18,7%, medicine 13,8%, public service 4,1%, IT sector 5,8%, arts 5,2%, crafts 5,3%, other 8%, do not know 21,2%);
• Way of having been aware about the event: schools 70,7%, word of mouth colleagues 8,5%, e-media 8,2%, family 6,4%, advertising 5,1%, passers-by 1,1%;
• Overall positive feedback (excellent organisation, fascinating themes, good scheduling, great contacts with researchers, skilled and kind volunteers, etc.);
• Most successful activities: Treasure hunt, Great science adventure, EU corners, Science (in) fiction, Meet scientists in private life;
• Improvement of researchers\' public image and increased understanding of researchers\' work social importance (9,9% increase awareness about significance of science and social impact of researchers\' work from 2013 to 2015);
• Increased interest for science careers (11,8% increase interest in science careers, especially amongst children aged 7-15 from 2013 to 2015, 16,3 % in rural communities);
• Increased school and kindergartens\' participation in the event;
• Possible improvements: identification of a reliable software support aimed at contemporaneous production of multiple video calls.

CONCLUSIONS OF THE ACTION

• The action reached the objectives pursued;
• Several improvements might however increase the event\'s impact with a view to a future similar event and in general regarding the main objectives of the action:
• Intensification of the communication actions towards the rural communities:
• Stronger focus on such communities, not only with a view to the events themselves, but also during the whole school year;
• Increased number of workshops organised in these environments, possibly as pre-events (teasers);
• Organisation of a larger number of science-related performances based on the success encountered;
• Consideration of the shopping malls as potential venues;
• Identification of a pr

Website & more info

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