The Ogden Trust and STFC have partnered up again to offer an Outreach and Public Engagement leadership programme- offered specifically as a CPD opportunity to develop a more strategic approach to your engagement work.

The programme has been developed specifically for academic/teaching staff with an interest in taking a more strategic approach to outreach and public engagement. This may include those championing outreach and public engagement within their research group, those with a leadership component at a department level or in an STFC facility, or those taking more formal responsibilities for leading and developing outreach and public engagement.

The programme will run between the 15^th September 2022 to July 2023. The deadline for applications is 17:00, 24^th June 2022. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application in early July.

Full details on the programme, eligibility and requirements can be found on the Ogden Trust website:

https://www.ogdentrust.com/university-support/leadership-for-outreach-and-public-engagement/

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Engage school students with your research from your desk!

I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here http://imascientist.org.uk/scientists is an online STEM engagement competition that gets people in science talking with curious school students. The STFC are funding Particles Zone and Space Zone https://imascientist.org.uk/2019/03/june-2019-zones/, both taking place 10-21 June  – and researchers funded by, or using data from, the STFC get priority in this oversubscribed event.

“After my first live chat I was hooked! The enthusiasm of the students was inspiring, and some of the questions were incredibly thought-provoking”

David, physicist https://about.imascientist.org.uk/2018/i-was-in-awe-at-the-intelligence-of-the-students-november-2018-winners-blog-posts/

Apply now for* I’m a Scientist* at imascientist.org.uk/scientist-apply

Make sure to select ‘Connected to STFC’ to receive priority for a place

Taking part is an enjoyable and easy way to get involved in STEM engagement. You’ll develop your communication skills and gain a fresh perspective on your work, through showing students what it’s really like to be a researcher.

Fill in your profile page, answer questions and use the text based chat system with UK school students. Everything happens online; you take part from your desk or smartphone. There’s no need to prepare activities or take time out of the office. Even better, students vote for their favourite scientist, who wins £500 to fund more STEM engagement activities.

Find out more and apply by Tuesday 23rd April at imascientist.org.uk/scientists

Any questions, contact antony@mangorol.la or call 01225 326 892… continue to the full article

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STFC Public Engagement Early-Career Researcher Forum
https://stfc.ukri.org/public-engagement/training-and-support/peer-forum/
Call for Applications
Closing date: 16:00, Monday 3rd June 2019

The STFC Public Engagement Early-Career Researcher Forum (the ‘PEER Forum’) will support talented scientists and engineers in the early stages of their career to develop their public engagement and outreach goals, to ensure the next generation of STFC scientists and engineers continue to deliver the highest quality of purposeful, audience-driven public engagement.

PEER Forum aims

*   To foster peer learning and peer support between early career scientists and engineers with a passion for public engagement and outreach.

*   To improve understanding of the support STFC provides for public engagement and outreach (including funding mechanisms, evaluation, and reporting) and how to successfully utilise this support.

*   To stimulate discussions that help to develop and influence STFC’s approaches to public engagement.

What will participation in the Forum involve?
Participants in the PEER Forum will meet face-to-face at least twice per year to share learning and to participate in session that will strengthen the depth and breadth of their understanding of public engagement and outreach.

Who can apply to join the Forum?
The PEER Forum is for practising early-career scientists and engineers who have an ambition to carry out excellent public engagement alongside, and complimentary to, their career in science or engineering. We are seeking Forum members from across the breadth of STFC’s pure and applied science and technology remit.

The specific personal requirements of PEER Forum membership are that members:

*   Have completed their highest level of academic qualification within the last ten years (not including any career breaks)

*   Are employed at a Higher Education Institute, or a research-intensive Public Sector Research Organisation or Research Laboratory (including STFC’s own national laboratories)

*   Work within a science and technology field in STFC’s remit, or with a strong inter-disciplinary connection to STFC’s remit, or use an STFC facility to enable their own research

*   Demonstrate a highly credible track record of experience in their field, corresponding to the length of their career to date

*   Demonstrate a highly credible track record of leading and delivering public engagement or outreach

*   Are keen communicators with a willingness to contribute to the success of a UK-wide network

Further information
For details on how to apply please go to our website<https://stfc.ukri.org/public-engagement/training-and-support/peer-forum/> or contact Andy Thompson Andy.Thompson@stfc.ac.uk<mailto:andy.thompson@stfc.ac.uk>.… continue to the full article

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We’re having a special public engagemnet training day for FELLOWS at the RAS on the 8th NOVEMBER: Astronomy and geophysics demos and presenter training day

Would you like to more confidently present science shows and astronomy and geophysics demonstrations in your science public engagement talks? If so then this training day is for you!

Run by the wonderful team at www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk

Date: Thursday 8th November

Time: All day, 10am start.

Location: RAS offices at Burlington House

The training is free of charge for Fellows and includes lunch. We are unable to assist with travel and expenses for this training day due to it already being heavily subsidised by the RAS.

If you are interested in attending please email Sheila Kanani directly. There will only be a small cohort of trainees so that you get the best training, so please get in touch with me ASAP if you’re interested! There will be a waiting list.

To apply please email Sheila Kanani with a brief description of your experience and expertise in public outreach, your Fellowship number and a short description of why you would like to attend the training. I will get in touch with you directly if you are successful.

Kind regards,

Sheila… continue to the full article

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STFC Leadership Fellows in Public Engagement – 2017
Pioneering programme seeks to boost engagement skills within wider science community

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has launched a new leadership scheme to help inspirational researchers champion public engagement across their academic communities. The call for applicants to the scheme – which seeks to empower scientists to train other scientists in public engagement – is now open and replaces STFC’s existing Public Engagement Fellowships.

Our Leadership Fellows in Public Engagement will support passionate academics and STFC facility users to undertake their own engagement and to actively increase the skill and confidence of their colleagues when it comes to engaging others with their research. This broader effort at spreading skills and confidence is designed to enhance engagement between the public and the wider science and technology community.

The STFC community has a long track record of delivering high quality engagement and outreach, and our existing Public Engagement Fellows have proved highly successful in strengthening relations with public audiences.

The 2017 call for STFC Leadership Fellows in Public Engagement is now open for applications. The call closes at 16:00 on 30 March 2017.
Before submitting your application you are encouraged to contact the Public Engagement Team to discuss your ideas.

Andy Thompson
STFC Public Engagement Office Manager

Andy.Thompson@stfc.ac.uk… continue to the full article

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We’ve been working with the UK Space Agency on educational resources connected with Tim Peake’s mission on the ISS, called #Principia. The Space to Earth Challenge (www.spacetoearthchallenge.org.uk) encourages schools to take on a physical challenge, different activities and sports, to cover the 400km from the ISS to Earth, and also has some science challenges.

Please join in the S2E challenge (for adults also!) and encourage local schools to do so, maybe even help them out using the resources on the website, or your own ideas and projects. The Sun, solar radiation and space weather all feature prominently. It’s great fun working with school children, primary and secondary. We have schools all over the UK signing up, so if you would like to help, please just let me know.

 … continue to the full article

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