Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MadridERN2016-2017 (Researchers, moving Europe forward. Meet them, join them!)

Teaser

The European Researchers’ Night in Madrid implemented different actions to show the importance of research and innovation for the welfare of Europe were carried out. A various range of activities were held during the Night to achieve a better understanding of the benefits...

Summary

The European Researchers’ Night in Madrid implemented different actions to show the importance of research and innovation for the welfare of Europe were carried out. A various range of activities were held during the Night to achieve a better understanding of the benefits researchers’ work brings to society. All the activities have in mind to reduce the existing stereotypes about researchers and their profession. The Night in Madrid focused on the following objectives: bringing researchers and public at large closer to each other by putting them in direct contact in a favourable scenario of recreational and fun activities where researchers showed their ‘human and ordinary face’; increasing awareness of research and innovation activities with a view to supporting the public recognition of researchers; encouraging young people to embark on scientific careers and fostering the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit among our youth; attaining a wide participation of the public in all of its components, from kids to elderly people, including families, and also disabled people, teachers and students at different levels and highlighting the European dimension of the event, by involving researchers benefiting from EU funds, especially Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellows. The project was successful and reached its objectives.

Work performed

\"Conception, realisation of promotional material: leaflets, roll-ups, posters, displayed in over 1.500 distribution points. Outdoors advertising city lights circuit in 2 of the main and long streets in the centre of Madrid (19-29Sept). Advertising in public places and public transport: posters in main underground stations of Madrid (Sept). Airing of announcements, advertising, programmes, interviews, news reports on national and regional radio and TV stations
Publication of articles, interviews, announcements, advertising in written press,announcements in science magazines. Organisation of a Press conference. Sending of a press kit to the main radio stations, newspapers, websites of science and technology and TV programmes. Publication of press releases, of which 2 by the coordinator and the rest by some of the institutions involved.Sending of invitations to over 76.000 e-mail addresses, schools, universities, research centres. Promotion during public events. Organisation of pre events: Distribution of posters and leaflets in schools; Launch of Contest \"\"Scientific Stories\"\" in May, call for proposals sent to 656 schools, published website of the Secondary School Teachers’ resources, on the ERN website and also on a website for writers;
Revamping, constant updating and maintenance of the project website: www.madrimasd.org/lanochedelosinvestigadores and of website of the Night in Spain www.lanochedelosinvestigadores.es; Links with the 20 websites of the institutions involved; 5558.067 hits from May to the end of Nov.; 54.933 unique visitors;
Revamping of social network profiles: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr; Special hashtag used for all the Night; Twitter 21.900 followers, over 320 posts published: 434.600 impressions and 2.369 interactions, Facebook: 250.000 impressions and 800 likes; Flickr: over 300 researchers’ profiles published with information about their hobbies, family.
Posting over 50 pieces of news in print and digital press; Estimated 3.500.000 made aware of the Night objectives.
Offer of the activities as planned: 49 activities were organized: 40 by the participants institutions and 9 parallel activities; hand on experiments, contests, concerts, gymkhanas, show cooking, games, scientific camping for children; Involvement of over 437 researchers of whom: 39 having benefitted from Marie Curie scheme; 101 having benefitted from support under H2020. Attendance of 11.500 visitors, locations with most crowded activities in Madrid following by Alcalá.\"

Final results

Display of: 368 ex posts questionnaires; 258 face to face interviews; 152 ex-ante on line questionnaires; collection and processing of 1.136 questionnaires, selected at random among the ones received from all the activities
Main conclusions:
Typology of visitors: 58% female, 42% male, 45,1% aged under 35, 38,9% secondary/vocational training education and 58,4% university studies, 20,2% declaring advanced level and 53,1% average level of scientific knowledge, 95% interested in Science, most from Madrid, and also from other Spanish regions, tourists and international travelers (USA, Latin America).
Children (under 16):46,4% girls, 53,6% boys. 36% under 9, 30% 10-12 and 34% 13-15, 53,9% primary school and 45,9% secondary studies and basic vocational training, 85% declaring an interest in science issues; Increasing number of young people attending, notably students of secondary and vocational training education. Knowledge about the event: 36,5% through external ads, social networks and websites, 42,9% by friends and family and 10,8% for previous editions; Overall positive feedback: concrete organization, themes, contacts with researchers, venues, locations. 95,8% considered activities interesting-very interesting, 85 % children stated activity was good-very good, 65,2% attended 1 activity while 23,3% attended 2 and 11,5% 3 or more;
Researchers very positive appreciation on: direct contact with the public, especially with children;bringing together science to the public; involvement of their colleagues; good organization of the event; consideration of Night as necessary -very necessary 99%; contribution to promotion of scientific vocations for 91,6%; consideration to be seen as weird people by the public for 39,2% (44,7 in 2016); 96,8% expressing their intention to participate in future editions
Modification of opinion about researchers 55% perceived researchers as younger than expected, not far from the real world, and ordinary people; 84,6% Night showed the EU support for research
Most successful activities: Industry research activities for society. European Corner; Contest of Scientific stories and Europe moves: migrations and the European construction.
Improved public image of researchers and their work: 91,9% considering research contributes to improving competitiveness and welfare state, 88,2% to spread knowledge and train future professional people and 86% to solve social problems. Nevertheless 89,3% state that the researchers’ role is still unknown in our society.
Impact on interest for scientific careers, in particular among young people: 71,4% under 16 declare that they would like to become a researcher in the future, 67,3% adults would like to study science and 64,6% would like to become a researcher; 88,1% adults and 88,3% children intending to attend future editions
Possible improvements:difficulty to attract MSC fellows, not always willing to participate; difficulty to combine huge crowds and direct contact with researchers; deed to simplify the questionnaires.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.madrimasd.org/lanochedelosinvestigadores.