February 2020

Hello Bristol Public Engagement Network and welcome to Connect. This month there are lots of new funding opportunities so check them out in the engage section. If they don't fit your idea, get in touch with the team to help you find alternatives.

All the best,
The Public Engagement team

Do you work in molecular biosciences? Join this online course led by The Biochemical Society to explore how your research can contribute to UK policy and how to engage the public effectively (24 February). Free for members, £50 for others.

Experience engagement first hand and understand more about breathlessness with the Life of Breath project. The project explored how philosophy interacts with health and wellbeing - see the free exhibition at Bristol Museum (27 February) or attend the closing celebration.

Learn how to engage school students effectively at this training session led by the Outreach Team. Explore new ideas for active engagement, build your confidence in delivery and hear example case studies (6 March).

Discover how archives can be brought to life at this one-day symposium of talks, performance and discussion ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’: Accessing and Activating the Franko B Archive (6 March, Arnolfini).

Learn how to make documentaries about science in this three day course (£450+VAT) led by BBC science documentary filmmakers (16-18 March).

Connect with other data researchers at the Jean Golding Insittute’s fast-paced networking lunch event Famous for 3 Minutes (15 April) and specific event for for PhD Students (17 March).

Why should scientists engage with the media? Join Fiona Fox, Chief Executive of the Science Media Centre, in this public lecture to explore science in the headlines and why science and controversy sometimes collide (30 March, Watershed).

Are you an EPSRC-funded PhD student? You have the exciting opportunity to take part in a fully-funded placement (part time, April to October, break in August) with the award-winning Kilter Theatre to collaborate and create a theatre performance based on your research. For more info sign up to the taster session (4 March) or email Ellie Cripps.

Lead hands-on exhibits in any STEM subject as part of Culverhill Special School's Science Fair (11 March 2020, Yate). For more info email Ellie Cripps. 

Celebrate science research with primary school children as part of Emerson Green Primary School's Science Week (20-24 April). All ideas for workshops, experiments and demos welcome, for more info email Ellie Cripps.

Engage families with your research by taking part in a hands-on festival at Bristol's Festival of Nature (6-7 June). We interpret nature very broadly at this festival! For more info email Diane Thorne.

Celebrate women in science and take part in Soapbox Science (Bristol, 4 July). Engage and inspire local people about your research in informal settings. For more info email the Soapbox Science Bristol team.

Enhance the greenspaces or walkability of Bedminster by supporting the initiatives Let's Walk Bedminster and My Wild Bedminster. These groups would like to collaborate with researchers to apply for funding from the University's Brigstow Institute. For more info email Ben Barker.

Funding calls now open:

• £10,000 - Temple Quarter Engagement Fund (13 March, monthly deadlines) 
• £2,000 - British Ecological Society (deadline 20 March) 
• £16,000 for IAA Fellowships (Social Sciences, deadline 26 March) 
• £1,000 - British Society for the History of Philosophy (deadline 31 March) 
• £1,000 from the Microbiology Society (deadline 8 April and 1 October)
• £1,000 - Biochemical Society (deadline 16 April) 
• £2,000 from the Royal Society of Chemistry (deadline 11 May)
• £1,000 - Royal College of Pathologists (deadline 1 June)
• £16,000 - ESRC Impact Acceleration Account (Email Ben Meller, deadline 26 March)

Comment on the decision to remove pathways to impact from UKRI’s grant applications. How will this change how you engage non-academic audiences in your research? Tell us what you think by emailing Ben Meller. 

Find out how to evidence impact from media engagement with more thought-provoking ideas from Mark Reed at Fast Track Impact.

Read about a collaborative project with the SS Great Britain Brunel’s Network: Collaborative Engineering in the Victorian Age. If you're interested in working with the SS Great Britain in the future for research or engagement, email Ellie Cripps.