How to engage – information for researchers

The University is committed to the principles of the UKRI Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research.

‘Public engagement enhances research so that it contributes positively to society and results in greater relevance, accountability and transparency….. We believe that engaging with the public should form part of the role of researchers in any discipline. By engaging with the public researchers can benefit from improving the quality of research and its impact, by widening research horizons or providing user perspectives; enhancing researchers’ communication and influencing skills; higher personal and institutional profiles; new partnerships. Public engagement can also help universities actively contribute to positive social change and the ‘public good’.’ (Prof. Alan Thorpe, OBE)

Public engagement with research describes a diversity of activities including:

• Participating in festivals
• Working with museums / galleries / science centres and other cultural venues
• Creating opportunities for the public to inform the research questions being tackled
• Researchers and public working together to inform policy
• Presenting to the public (e.g. public lectures or talks)
• Involving the public as researchers (e.g. web-based experiments)
• Engaging with young people to inspire them about research (e.g. workshops in schools)
• Contributing to new media enabled discussion forums.

The Graduate School provides training to equip researchers with the necessary skills required to work with policymakers, the public, children and young adults and provides support to develop specific public engagement events. Please get in touch with j.smith@abertay.ac.uk if you would like to find out more.

Abertay currently hosts a number of opportunities and events that researchers can get involved with:

Lift-off – A project aimed at helping young people from our partner schools to make sense of the choices and challenges that come after school, particularly college or university.

Dare Academy – An annual games design competition steeped in history and recognised as one of the best games competitions in the UK.