Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FF18_19 (European Researchers\' Night in Sweden - ForskarFredag 2018-2019)

Teaser

\"European Researchers\' Night in Sweden, ForskarFredag, FF (Researchers\' Friday) united 29 events in cities and towns across Sweden in 2018. The project bring the general public, with a special focus on pupils aged 12–19, face-to-face with researchers through fun, festive and...

Summary

\"European Researchers\' Night in Sweden, ForskarFredag, FF (Researchers\' Friday) united 29 events in cities and towns across Sweden in 2018. The project bring the general public, with a special focus on pupils aged 12–19, face-to-face with researchers through fun, festive and hands-on activities, all free of charge. By reaching out to all corners of Sweden, people will discover local and regional research in a national and international context. The non-profit association VA has coordinated FF annually since 2006, and FF18_19 builds on the success of previous years, drawing on experience, contacts and the ever-increasing national profile.

Event programmes are planned and executed by local organisers and brought together under the national umbrella by VA. Local organisers are universities, science centres, municipalities, museums, research centres and county councils. Each local event is organised in a way to give the highest impact in the local community, building on local strengths and using local networks. The local organisers share experiences and learnings in a national contact network. VA is responsible for the quality, framework, national identity and national awareness campaign. Common activities include the high-profile communications contest Researchers’ Grand Prix, the annual citizen science project the Mass Experiments, Borrow-a-Researcher for schools and Science Cafés.

ForskarFredag increases public awareness of research conducted at universities, research centres, institutes and companies all over Sweden. It showcases how research affects our society today and inspires people to
imagine what impact research and innovation could have in the future. Face-to-face meetings with researchers generate dialogue, which create a better understanding of how researchers work, as well as
better understanding of research methods, challenging common misconceptions about research and stereotypes about researchers. European Researchers’ Night provides a high-profile vehicle for increasing the public’s awareness and understanding of research.

ForskarFredag:s motto is: \"\"Researchers are ordinary people with extraordinary jobs!\"\"

The main objectives for ForskarFredag in Sweden 2018–2019, FF18_19:
1. To bring researchers to the general public. To create festive meeting points for researchers and
the general public across the whole country. The events will offer something for everyone,
regardless of age, education level or scientific background.
2. To increase awareness of research and innovation activities, reaching the largest and widest
possible audience. Targets: number of visitors annually: 16,000 in 2018 and 20,000 in 2019 (2017:
14,400).
3. To support the public recognition of researchers. Improve public attitudes towards researchers
and tackle existing stereotypical images by engaging researchers with a diversity of disciplines,
age, gender, ethnicity etc. Target: 520 researchers to take part annually with a 50/50 gender
balance (501 researchers participated in FF17).
4. To create an understanding of the impact of researchers\' work on citizens’ daily lives by
engaging researchers from local universities and enterprises and choosing topics close to people’s
daily lives.
5. To encourage young people to embark on scientific careers Target: At least 38% of young
visitors to reply Yes, more positive to the evaluation question After attending ForskarFredag, have
you become more positive or negative to becoming a researcher? (FF17: 36% of respondents
younger than 25 years).
6. To generate direct exchange and interactivity between researchers and the public. Target:
75% of visitors will talk to a researcher (outcome of last year’s event FF17: 69%).
7. To highlight the international dimension of research. Target: At least 20% of participating
researchers to be involved within EU supported research.
8. To gain experience, draw conclusions and disseminate results that will help to inform and
improve future events.
\"

Work performed

\"During the first period of the project, local and regional events have been planned, executed and evaluated in 29 cities and towns in Sweden, involving 569 PhD students and researchers as well as 241 students and other staff. 600 activities (e.g. hands on, dialogues, shows, competitions, exhibitions, demonstrations, science cafés) reached nearly 17 500 visitors of all ages. A national as well as local awareness campaigns were executed.

The citizen science project \"\"The ladybird experiment\"\" was executed in the months prior to the Night, with activities on the Night. Six local and regional heats of the competition Researchers\' Grand Prix was held.
\"

Final results

European Researchers\' Night in Sweden offer activities across the whole of Sweden, including smaller towns rarely enjoying these kinds of festivals. The number of activities and visitors have increased since last year.

Website & more info

More info: https://forskarfredag.se/.