Ethics case study: The polyveg garden project
The polyveg garden project was a ‘one year trial’ participatory research project that involved 50 gardeners across the UK growing annual mixed vegetables using a polyculture approach.
Ethics case study: The Newport medieval ship project
A medieval ship was discovered in Newport and this case study looks at how this heritage project grew and involved many members and groups within the local community.
Ethics case study: The Co-Inquiry Action Research Group
A co-inquiry action research (CAR) group comprising community partners and university researchers was established as part of a small research project funded by a UK research council. The research was a scoping study to be undertaken over eight months on the theme of ethics in community-based...
Ethics case study: The young women's group allotment research project
This research project aimed to find ways of documenting the histories and practices of a young women's group, and for the group to participate in community exchange events, where both the process of the research, and the final products, would be shared.
The Evaluation of the UCL Beacon
This case study outlines the lines of inquiry used to evaluate UCL’s programme as part of the Beacons for Public Engagement (BPE) initiative.
Hiding in the Pub to Cutting the Cord?
Hiding in the Pub to Cutting the Cord? was an interactive, innovative and multi-layered public engagement project. It involved a number of different elements and events, based on Laura King’s research into the history of fatherhood in Britain.
Integrating Public Engagement into the Curriculum
The aim of the project was to integrate training in the principles of PE into a final year undergraduate module. The students learned about the aims, value and roles of PE in HE, and then applied what they had learned in a final PE event aimed at the University of the Third Age.
Magnets, Ducks and Superconductors
To inspire careers in science and engineering, to inform with examples of the impact of science and engineering in society, to enquire into motivations and rewards for people in science and engineering.
Sustainable Living and the Older Community
A campaign to engage the older (65+) UK community in public debate on sustainable living and what it means to them.
Practical Piracy is a series of workshops led by post-graduate researchers from the University of Warwick to engage children with their research in a fun and engaging manner.
Engineering students in Trinity College Dublin took part in a “Service Learning” module, investigating and designing innovative solutions to everyday difficulties relating to Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).
A competition at Manchester Science Festival exhibiting images of research taking place at the University of Manchester, showing how research has impact and meaning for all of us
This competition challenged early career researchers from all disciplines to communicate their research topic to a general audience in just 3 minutes
Highlighting the issues of drug use in sport: Olympic special
As part of University of Leeds events for National Science Week, the Performance 2012 project invited A level and GCSE pupils from local schools and colleges to come and learn more about drugs in sport.
Passengerfilms is a cultural enterprise, founded and run by volunteer PhD students, which aims to bring hot topics from cultural geography to the film-going public in London. Interactive monthly events combine feature screenings and short films with brief think tanks, drinks and networking.
History, Heritage and Public Engagement
A unique public engagement project led by the School of History at University of East Anglia (UEA), benefitting students, the university, local heritage partners and the community.
Disposal? UCL Museums & Collections and the Consultative Exhibition
In October 2009, UCL Museums & Collections held an exhibition which asked the audience to contribute to discussions about one of the most controversial subjects in the museum world: what should we keep and what should we get rid of?
Trinity College Dublin are marrying the universities knowledge with the expertise of people with aphasia, to develop a framework to support student assessment in the Department of Clinical Speech and Language
Converge: releasing the potential of the university
York St John University and the Leeds and York NHS Foundation Trust provide courses in the arts for people who use mental health services
Bright Club: public engagement variety night
Bright Club provides an enjoyable first-step into public engagement for students and staff. It is run by the UCL Public Engagement Unit and happens every month in a comedy club in London.
Public Involvement in Research
This case study describes an initiative to build a strategic approach to involving health and social care service users in research in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at UWE Bristol.
Bristol’s first ever BioBlitz provided an opportunity for academics and volunteer naturalists to combine knowledge and expertise with public engagement experience to deliver an exciting biodiversity event for local people.
Students volunteer to experience and explore working in museums, archives and libraries at the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL). Volunteering is accredited through a link with Reading University Students' Union RED (Reading Experience and Development) Award.
Supporting informal professional development in public engagement
There are many ways to support informal development in public engagement in an institution. This case study describes some of the event formats that have worked well at the Edinburgh Beacon.
A collaboration between the Victoria and Albert Museum and UWE to create a website containing interviews with people from British crafts, to offer alternative views on the museums 20 century ceramics collection.
The Crescent Network - Fostering PE through networks
Set up in early 2010 the Crescent Network is an informal forum for early career researchers to develop their public engagement skills
Collecting and Curating Popular Music Histories
Academics at the University of Liverpool are working on an AHRC funded project in partnership with the UK museum sector to develop effective strategies for collecting, preserving, representing, and interpreting popular music.
UWE historians (Dresser and Fleming) were co-opted to advise on the contents of the MShed Museum scheduled to open in 2011
Student-led activities in partnership with the community where both students and permanent residents volunteered together, aiming to overcome growing community issues of ‘studentification’.
Qualitative baseline research at UEA
CUE East Beacon carried out a qualitative baseline survey of a cross-section of academic staff at UEA. It not only provided a baseline against which improvements can be assessed, but also recognised the activity already taking place and identified motivations and barriers for getting involved.
Researcher Curator is an AHRC-funded project running in partnership between Nottingham University, Nottingham Trent University and the Galleries of Justice. It is targeted at researchers from non-museums backgrounds.
On October 11, 2010 the British Library Science, Technology, Medicine team hosted its first public facing event ‘Do you Hear What I Hear?’ in partnership with UCL Neuroscience at the British Library Conference Centre.
How MMU and people in Hulme and Moss Side came together to breath new life into film archive collections. In 2009 MMU's Northwest Film archive worked alongside a local cultural broadcaster on a public engagement fellowship project using archive footage as a platform to co-create a new short...
Systems for Staff: coordinating and supporting public engagement at Beacon NE
Beacon NE is one of six Beacons for Public Engagement, established to encourage public engagement in the Higher Education sector and is a partnership between Newcastle University, Durham University and the Centre for Life.
University engagement at the Eisteddfod
Techniquest and Cardiff University worked in partnership to develop a range of interactive exhibits to engage people in research carried out by the university, to celebrate Cardiff University’s 125th anniversary at the National Eisteddfod (Europe’s largest cultural festival), at subsequent...
BA (hons) students of various disciplines are annually empowered to re-interpret the Royal Cornwall Museum’s collections in creative ways that will appeal to young people aged 16-24, creating surprising interventions to both engage this age group and represent them to other sectors of Cornwall’s...
Using special events (e.g., Apple Day) to enable researchers and academics to engage with the wider public. It started as information about apples, apple tasting, access to archive materials and a talk. It has become a larger scale event including activities for all the family and the opportunity...
Future animals: Friend or Food?
‘Future animals’ was an integrated arts and science project that brought together teenagers, Cardiff University staff and students, Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, and an artist to discuss how human manipulation of past animals produced animals of the present day, and to design animals for...
Award developed by the University of York to provide recognition of the skills developed through academic study, work experience and leisure interests carried out whilst at university
Embedding recognition for public engagement into promotions criteria at UEA
A set of promotions criteria on Enterprise and Engagement has been developed to reward those who get involved in engagement at UEA – to try to tackle the perception amongst staff that time spent on public engagement isn’t formally recognised by the university.
Early Career Researcher Awards
Vitae North West Hub and the Manchester Beacon collaborated to support researcher development through PE and mentoring to five projects in the North West region
Manchester Community Science Awards
Four awards of up to £2000 each were available to develop PE activities during the Manchester Science Festival 2010.
Collaborative oral history research project to create an animated film marking the 40th anniversary of the salvage and return of the ss Great Britain to Bristol
Third/fourth year students at The University of Bath communicate mathematics in an exciting, interactive way to the public through four tasks - an exhibition at Bath Taps Into Science, a master class for the Royal Institution, a student-led project, and a mathematics project in any medium.
Molecular biology and human disease PhD students from Nottingham University engaged A-level students with their research and gave them the opportunity to see what life is like in the lab.
Manchester Beacon Science Festival Community Awards 2010
Fostering new partnerships between research networks and community groups. This case study explores the role of the Museum as a bridge to build links between universities and community groups.
Dundee Science Centre developed ‘Create and Inspire’ training for researchers and scientists to help them learn about the style and ethos of science communication in a science centre context.
Exploring Impacts of Volunteering on University Students in London
A collaborative research project between eight London universities to develop understanding of the impact of volunteering on students' personal development.
Accessing our National Heritage
The Adult Education Centre at University College Dublin and the National Library of Ireland commenced collaboration in 2008 to harness and leverage the resources and exhibitions of the National Library for the benefit of adult learners.
How can Beacons help foster change within institutional culture? This was the starting point for the Manchester Beacon Steering Group, who recognised that this change could be encouraged within certain contexts.
Step Up- Community Leadership Programme
Step Up was a bespoke leadership development programme led by the Manchester Beacon and Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations, designed to support and mentor leaders from the BAME communities.
Collaborating for Social Justice: a community-university partnership
Mutually beneficial partnership between Thrive, a community organisation committed to assisting people to overcome poverty and the Centre for Social Justice, Durham University
The project facilitated inter-disciplinary student volunteer teams who designed, developed and delivered innovative and exciting learning modules for primary school children at risk of disengaging with education. It is a collaboration between the university, business and schools.
Developing low carbon neighbourhoods: a collaborative action research project in Newcastle
Improving university engagement with communities and neighbourhoods in Newcastle upon Tyne to discern local visions and actions relevant to building low carbon communities/neighbourhoods
Beacon North East Co-inquiry Action Research (CAR) Project
Members from BE North East, community group, Thrive, Durham University and Newcastle University formed co-enquiry action research group to research co-enquiry
Developing Durham Local Food Network: the role of a Master's student
Co-inquiry partnership (community-university research partnership), centred around the provision of a masters Postgraduate bursary awarded to Amy Mycock to develop a website for Durham Local Food Network.
Digging where we stand: a research collaboration between older people and planning students
Community-university research partnership involving postgraduate planning students worked with older people in two diverse neighbourhoods to draw out qualities of those neighbourhoods that were supportive or detrimental to older residents’ quality of life.
‘Robotic Visions’ involved roboticists and science centres working together to engage young adults in dialogue on the future of robotics research.
Techniquest ran a special weekend of interactive activities at its centre in Cardiff in November 2010 about the human body, with partners including Cardiff University and the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) to give its visitors opportunities to find out more about themselves.
PE at the University of Bristol
Public engagement in most of its guises has been a feature of life at the University of Bristol for many years.
Learning Community Partnership
This case study shows how the University of Gloucestershire worked to create a new school, and a whole learning community.
The Community University Partnership Programme's (Cupp) Helpdesk helps to build trust, commitment and understanding between the University of Brighton and its communities.
Cross-Institutional Collaboration
The aim of this initiative was to help establish effective support for public engagement activities across the Edinburgh Beltane partnership.
The CUE East Individual Awards are aimed at providing an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution that staff and students at UEA and at the Norwich Research Park have made to university community engagement.
Beacon for Wales funding rounds
The Beacon for Wales has been focussing on raising the profile of engagement as a valid activity for university academics, and has managed to award £208k to 16 projects across four different Welsh universities in two funding rounds.
Intergenerational Reminiscence Project
The Intergenerational Reminiscence Project aims to break down barriers between the elderly and local school children through student volunteer facilitated workshops, which focus on two-way communication of knowledge and life experience.
UCL Step Out and other adventures
A collaboration between UCL's public engagement unit and their volunteering services unit to encourage postgraduate students to develop public engagement projects.
A collaborative one-day informal learning & community engagement event themed around aspects of medieval society to celebrate Adult Learners Week, held at Cosmeston, a reconstructed medieval village near Cardiff
I'm a Scientist, Get me out of Here!
I’m a Scientist is a science dialogue event where school students talk to real scientists online for two weeks. It’s in the form of an X Factor style competition between scientists, who compete for a prize of £500.
The Bristol Festival of Nature is public engagement on a grand scale. It's an imaginative weekend of films, animal encounters, exhibitions, walks, talks, workshops and competitions - all completely free of charge. No wonder it attracts around 30,000 visitors who come to join in the UK's...
The Beacon Bursaries scheme is one of the funding schemes facilitated by the UCL Public Engagement Unit. The Beacon Bursaries funding scheme provides small grants of up to £1,500 to support projects or activities that will help staff and/or students to connect their research or teaching with groups...
The focal point for charitable activity at Oxford University - a network that helps coordinate the work of partners in the public engagement process.
Rising Stars: Cambridge University
Many senior academics are great communicators and ambassadors for their subjects. We wanted to help those who are just starting out in their careers to develop these essential skills.
All My Worldly Possessions: The Guernsey Evacuee Experience
Exploring the Guernsey Evacuee Experience enabled university researcher Gill Mawson to talk about her work and the Bury Archives. Sharing the stories of evaluees made the Archives and university research more accessible to the general public.
Liverpool Applied Social Research Module
An optional accredited research project as part of undergraduate sociology courses. Students are placed with a Voluntary, Community or Faith Organisations to research a problem/issue identified by the client organsation. Placements cover a range of topics including domestic abuse, mental health and...
A series of public & school engagement activities took place in Manchester to highlight important issues surrounding food security & urban agriculture, which culminated in a 'Finale Day' on 3rd July 2010 at the Manchester Museum
A National Trust Student Ambassador hosted a Mad Hatter's Tea Party at the University of Plymouth to raise awareness of the National Trust among the student body.
The UCL Public Engagement Unit works to embed public engagement into University life and trains up academics to take part in FameLab, the international science communication competition
London Higher conducted a two year project to examine public perceptions of how London's higher education institutions interact with local communities.
Nottingham Trent University and the Galleries of Justice Museum are currently working together to deliver a vocational qualification called the Professional Certificate in Heritage Tourism to provide entry-level training. Thereby opening up a new way the sector to help diversify the workforce.
Quality Streets - Participatory research in Stoke’s UniQ
Quality Streets is a participatory consultation in the neighbourhood of the University. The project involved local residents and workers, and students as a community research team to find out what people think about the area.
Real World Science – Engaging with the Experts
The collaboration between The University of Manchester research scientists and museum educators to design and host a programme of ‘Engage with the Experts’ A-Level Study days entitled ‘Genes to Phenotype’ and ‘The Hard Cell’ Stem Cell Debate day.
The Whitworth’s student engagement programme is pioneering a model where the students are active learners, and co-producers. This way of working impacts upon both the students and gallery staff as co-learners and provides provide an empowering platform for student talent, creativity, vision and...
Is there chemistry when Miss Sulphate meets Mr Copper? Can you turn your pennies into gold? University of Manchester researchers worked with the Museum of Science and Industry to develop four interactive experiences on corrosion science for the Manchester Science Festival – with resounding success!
A 24 hour bodiversity study carried out in six university campuses across the country in 2010, offering a diversity of student volunteering opportunities and engaging people from across communities.
Since 2005 occupational therapy students have participated in the Study of Occupation course from first to fourth year, a component of which involves service-learning through the ‘Study of Occupation Practice’ (SOOP) course.
Places to start: opportunities for Public Engagement
It is important that staff and students have access to training, but is vital that they also have opportunities to ‘do’ public engagement. This presents a number of challenges. This case study focuses on some of the routes staff and students at the University of Edinburgh have followed to gain...
What can academics, practitioners and parents do to fight the odds for children who do not sail through life easily? This question has driven the work of the Bouncing Back project team.
Dance, Tag Rugby and Netball societies from the University of Brunel designing and delivering after school coaching sessions for primary school pupils in partnership with the West London Academy Children's University
Discovery is a student-led registered charity based at Swansea University that links student volunteers with a comprehensive range of community activities. These include running a charity shop, fund raising and publicity, volunteering with children and vulnerable adults, and environmental projects.
The promotion of using computer game design in education. To inspire and interest 12–14 year old school pupils in computer science by giving them opportunities to make computer games in the classroom.
Social Policy into Practice - learning through volunteering
An optional 20 credit module in the second year of the BA Social Policy degree at the University of Birmingham. It enables students to volunteer locally, giving an opportunity to gain practical experience of organisations and settings in which social policy is put into practice at ‘ground level’...
Two to the Left, Two to the Right
A fun event to raise awareness of the positive impact of students in the community.
Through community placements, undergraduate and MSc students studying entrepreneurship at the University of Southampton were given the chance to work with social enterprises as part of their assessed coursework.
At the centre of Staging the Henrician Court research project was a full-scale public production of John Heywood's The Play of the Weather in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace. The project included other public engagement activities including public lectures and theatrical workshops.
UCL Provost's Award for Public Engagement
The reward and recognition of PE activity is a core goal of the Beacon for Public Engagement (BPE) programme. The UCL-led Beacon have approached this is a number of ways, including the organisation and delivery of an internal awards programme for public engagement called the Provost’s Awards for...
Understanding Environmental Knowledge Controversies
The Ryedale Flood Research Group and the 'Understanding Environmental Knowledge Controversies' Project is an excellent example of developing effective ways of engaging citizens in interdisciplinary scientific work.
Developing an interactive installation for a tour of the UK, with the aim of raising awareness of AI researchers and the Sodarace audience.
Co-ordination and networks to support Public Engagement
It is challenging to coordinate information about PE, particularly across large institutions. It is also difficult to establish and maintain networks of people who work in this area. This case study explores how the University of Edinburgh is attempting to do this and shares the lessons learned so...
Bursting the Bubble: Peer-led Research
Bursting the Bubble, research into students, volunteering and the community adopted a peer led participatory methodology, involving student researchers in all stages of the process
Research Informing Practice on Student Volunteering
Exploring the impacts upon volunteering practice within the University of East London, following participation in the 'Bursting the Bubble' research, commissioned by the NCCPE
Developing infrastructure to support learning
Networks, events programmes, training opportunities and formal CPD in public engagement all support learning but delivering these initiatives requires experienced staff and other resources. Find out the Edinburgh Beltane tackled this.
Building formal support for public engagement into CPD Programmes
Our objective when we set out on this project was to provide a clear overview of the range of public engagement activities, the training and development opportunities available, and a way to support a strategic approach to professional development.
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery and several science partners in the city joined together to develop interactive activities for visiting schools for National Science and Engineering Week.
The Museum of English Rural Life seeks to capitalise on the expertise of the wider research community to give its temporary exhibitions increased relevance and depth.
Centre for Social Justice and Community Action
Durham University’s Centre for Social Justice and Community Action (CSJCA) was set up to promote relevant, community-based participatory research.
Working with community organisations and with sports clubs and societies of Warwick Students Union to develop community volunteering projects based around their activities. The aim was to promote a change in the approach to volunteering within Warwick Volunteers.
Garden Share Feasibility Study
Student volunteers from the University of Bath led a feasibility study into the use of student gardens as allotments for local residents in the Oldfield Park area of the city
Kairos, Working Women Together (WWT)
Kairos WWT is a small organisation that recruits female-only volunteers to meet and offer friendship to women working on the street. They work with Warwick Volunteers to offer a wide range of volunteering experiences to Warwick students
London Student Volunteers Fortnight
In 2009 nine London universities came together with multiple community organisations and schools to coordinate a broad range of volunteering events and programmes across London, a pilot which has developed into an annual event.
Manchester Leadership Programme
An academically accredited programme to produce leaders of the future, and help the integration of the university within its community.
