People: Chloe Sheppard

Portrait of Chloe Sheppard

Current role:
Other
Institution:
RCUK
Discipline:
Other
Contact me:
chloe.sheppard@rcuk.ac.uk
Engaging the public with your research can be hugely rewarding and there is lots of help available so don’t be daunted and give it a try!

What motivated you to engage the public with your work

As a student, I found engaging with the public personally rewarding. This led to a career in public engagement with research. 

Engaging the public benefits society and research – this is outlined in the RCUK Public Engagement with Research strategy.

Describe the public engagement activity you have done

Details of the RCUK Public Engagement with Research programme can be found on our website.

In my previous role, I had responsibility for the Royal Society’s public events programme.  I have also worked on activities aimed at young people and in museums.

What are your top three tips for other researchers who might like to engage the public in their work?

  1. Think about the purpose of your engagement activity and audience to inform the approach and engage them effectively.
  2. Reflect on how successful your activity was and share this with others (and take advantage of learning from others too!)
  3. Take advantage of the support and resources available.

What are your top three resources to support your engagement work?

  1. The engaging researcher: This Vitae and National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement publication highlights some of the many ways researchers can engage the public, offers practical tips for getting started and explores how public engagement can benefit researchers and the public.
  2. RCUK Evaluation: Practical guidelines.  This guide is designed for those who lead projects intended to engage general audiences in research and the social, ethical and political issues that research raises. It is intended to help project managers evaluate individual projects, regardless of their experience of evaluation.
  3. Engaging young people with cutting edge research.  This brochure provides helpful signposts and opportunities to both researchers and teachers on how to get started working together.

Are there areas of specific expertise you would like to be consulted on by people visiting our website?

My specific expertise is in public engagement with research