5 December 2006
£8M for new initiative to boost public engagement
A new £8M initiative has been launched today which aims to promote excellence in public engagement and effect a culture change in UK universities towards engaging with the public.
The UK higher education funding councils and Research Councils UK (RCUK), in association with the Wellcome Trust, are inviting higher education institutions (HEIs) to bid to become Beacons for Public Engagement. The funders have launched the initiative in order to co-ordinate efforts to recognise, reward and build capacity in public engagement across all subject areas.
Public engagement encompasses all university and research institute activities that establish and maintain a dialogue with the wider public. The funding will also be used to establish a UK-wide co-ordinating centre to work across the initiative and promote best practice.
At the core of the initiative is the recognition that there is already a wealth of excellent activities and practice, but there is a need to improve co-ordination, increase capacity and share best practice both within institutions and with other providers.
The Beacons will be at the forefront of efforts to change the culture in universities, assisting staff and students to engage with the public and removing any barriers. A recent report investigating attitudes towards public engagement by researchers found that in research-intensive universities the need to publish and attract research funding can make it difficult for staff to take time to have a meaningful dialogue with the public. Engaging with the public can bring real benefits to universities and research institutes and the new Beacons initiative aims to tackle these issues by valuing and recognising public engagement at all levels.
Professor Ian Diamond, chair of the RCUK Executive Group, said:
'RCUK and the funding councils are committed to engaging with the public at all levels of our work. Public engagement has benefits for everyone involved. People get to see the opportunities open to them in higher education and research and are empowered to take part in democratic decisions about issues affecting their lives.'
'For funders, engaging with the public means we can convey the importance of our work to the health, wealth and culture of the nation and help to encourage more people to become involved in debates about research and providing a wide range of views to inform our decision-making. We realise that it is not always easy for staff to leave the lab or lecture theatre to talk with the public. For that reason the Beacons funded by this initiative will be expected to tackle the question of recognition and support for staff wanting to get involved in public engagement.'
Professor David Eastwood, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said:
'Greater support and encouragement for public engagement activities was one of the issues that received significant backing when we consulted on the HEFCE strategic plan for the next five years. We believe that this co-ordinated approach by the main funders will send out a strong signal that maintaining an effective dialogue with the wider public is important in terms of maintaining confidence in higher education and extending its civic and civilising influence. It is also essential that teaching and research remain in tune with the needs of society by close contact with the wider public.'
Dr Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust, commented:
'Developments in research inevitably trigger questions for society and it's essential that research is examined and debated in a responsible and engaging manner. This initiative will enable scientists and the research community to tap into the best ways of highlighting their work to new audiences, contributing to a better understanding of science and its relevance to everyday life.'
The Beacons for Public Engagement will be expected to take on wide-ranging objectives. These will include linking with partner organisations involved in public engagement such as museums or science centres, and encouraging as many staff and students as possible to get involved in order to build public engagement capacity. They will work to ensure public engagement is recognised at a strategic level in HEIs and to develop sustainable networks to capture existing best practice and see that it is widely shared. The Beacons will be able to advise any academic or researcher in a university or Research Council Institute on public engagement activities.
The UK-wide co-ordinating centre will build networks across the other Beacons and provide a single point of contact as well as an overview of their activities.
Up to £8M of funding is being made available by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Research Councils, with support from the Wellcome Trust. The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) will contribute to any Beacons established in Scotland and Wales respectively. The funding will support Beacons for an initial pilot period of four years.
Notes to Editors
1. Full information about this initiative and guidance for HEIs on eligibility and how to apply for funding are published in HEFCE 2006/49.
2. The recent report on attitude to public engagement is: 'Survey of factors affecting science communication by scientists and engineers', Royal Society, RCUK and Wellcome Trust, June 2006, available at http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk/page.asp?id=3180.