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Try it out – engaging the public can be rewarding for its own sake and not just because you and your research can benefit. Don’t do engagement in ways that make you feel uncomfortable – there are so many different ways to engage the public that it’s worth thinking about the sorts of things you will enjoy doing and the skills you have.

What motivated you to engage the public with your work

My role is to encourage and enable NERC-funded researchers to engage people with their work. NERC research is relevant to everyone, is incredibly exciting and often visually stunning – how could anyone not be motivated to want to share that with other people?

I am fortunate in my job that I get to hear about all the amazing science that goes on and meet some really inspirational and interesting researchers in the process

Describe the public engagement activity you have done.

I’m a STEM ambassador and go to local schools to tell them about NERC research, what our researchers are like and how they got into their work.

In 2010 I organised a public engagement event with the Science Museum for 18-30 year olds on the geoengineering – this is an audience we find it hard to engage with so it was great to see so many young people hearing about this new area of science.

I also took part in ‘Conker Science’ – an activity devised by one of our research fellows – this meant I was in primary schools quite a lot talking about ‘alien invaders’. It was a fantastic activity to be involved in as the school children really enjoyed their involvement – once they realised this was real research and numbers they were collecting they took it incredibly seriously and made concerted efforts to be accurate.

What are your top three tips for other researchers?

1. You are your own secret weapon! You have no idea the effect an enthusiastic and engaging researcher can have on the public they meet – it is amazing to see the positive effect a ‘real’ researcher can have.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help – ask other people who have done engagement work, speak to support staff, ask the funders
3. if you are NERC funded come on our training course ‘Engaging the Public with your Research’ – this will build your skills and confidence when you go out and do public engagement

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

1. NERC funded researchers – I am fortunate to meet many through the course we run and am always amazed by how enthusiastic and interesting they are
2. Colleagues – its absolutely vital to be able to discuss ideas and hear other people’s reactions
3. People’s interest in the world around them – it’s hard to identify an area of our research that doesn’t affect the public in some way. Much of the time it’s just a case of finding out what that hook is and then using it to help people engage with the research.