Find Your Passion for Science on Researchers Night

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FUSION NIGHT (Find Your Passion for Science on Researchers Night)

Reporting period: 2015-01-01 to 2015-11-30

The “FUSION NIGHT” 2015 Polish Researchers’ Night was led by the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IAR&FR), in partnership with Olsztyn School of Higher Education (OSHE).
Kids, teens and adults were invited to take part as a unique occasion when science, entertainment and education met in one single place.

The FUSION NIGHT programme offered a broad range of activities aimed at increasing the awareness of the community at large about the importance of research careers and the central role of scientists in improving the daily life and well-being of European citizens.

Amongst the very numerous activities offered, one may list: “become a researcher for one night and give lecture to one’s peers" (Polish Academy of Kids), test the content of vitamins in juice or milk, discover the secrets of cryopreservation in a mobile laboratory , develop one's own creams using fruit powders, design a book from scratch, learn the secrets of animal biodiversity or make a fruit puree in liquid nitrogen.

Other entertaining activities were organised namely swimming competitions, basketball game, salsa course and martial arts training all conducted by the organiser's young researchers. Furthermore, a live concert of an international group of English teachers in Olsztyn and an exhibition of science curiosities captured on the stained glass were also offered.

Collaboration with partners from industrial circles helped providing visitors with a first-hand view of the products and innovations “born” thanks to the solutions provided by science and researchers.

The “after hours” passions and interests of the researchers as well as the organisation of science demos, workshops and experiments conducted by young enthusiastic researchers, contributed to breaking prevailing stereotypes about scientists, who appeared as fascinating individuals, embodying insatiable passion for discovery, dedication to their work, yet having a variety of interests and a balanced, successful life.

I.1.1. AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Tasks undertaken

Target audiences

o Public at large regardless of age and scientific background;
o Special attention to be paid to school children and secondary education students, in particular those about facing or facing a career choice;

Messages conveyed

o Researchers are among us, they are not from another world;
o Researchers are ordinary people with an extraordinary job;
o Researchers are fascinating people, they embodying insatiable passion for discovery, openness of mind, dedication to their work and readiness to take a great effort for the betterment of other people’s lives;
o Research careers are challenging and gratifying
o Being a researchers gives you a chance to leave your own footprint on the sands of time;
o Science is cool;
o Modern world wouldn’t be a modern world without the understandings and technologies enabled by science;
o Science is deeply interwoven with our everyday lives
o It affects us all, every day of the year, from the moment we wake up, all day long, and through the night;
o Discovering the curiosities of science can be both educating and entertaining;
o Cooperation of science and industry brings benefits for each and every one of us.

Main communication tools to rely on

Off line

o Publication of articles, announcements, advertisements in regional and local newspapers, including Olsztynska Newspaper, Wyborcza Newspaper, Life of Olsztyn local newspaper and Made in Olsztyn magazine;
o Airing of promotional spots, programmes, interviews, announcements, on several science and information radio programmes(about 10) and on TVP Olsztyn regional television station;
o Public advertising: banners in the city centre, advertising on transport public means (busses);
o Promotion of the event during other public events (science festivals, science picnic of Polish radio and Copernicus centre in Warsaw)
o Launch of a competition “fascinating science, create an inspiration for future researchers”;
o Display of promotional material (brochures, folders, posters)in schools universities, )
o Pre-events:
o Open day (early May) in participants’ labs;
o Picnic opening the celebration of the 11 years of Poland in EU (2015);
o Visits to schools by PhD students (hands on experiments, chemical workshops) in Warmia and Mazury region (4 elementary and grammar schools);
o Exhibition “look at the world through the eyes of a scientist” at the Marshall office (3 weeks-duration);
o Picnics for kids (competitions, lectures, games) in May and June 2015;

On line

o Setting up, constant updating and maintenance of the project website(information, topics, announcements, pictures, competitions, links to EU websites and other events’ ones);
o Setting up of social networks profiles (Twitter, Facebook;
o Setting up of blogs exclusively run by researchers(pictures of their everyday life, research carried out with special emphasis on health, food technology, biodiversity and environment as considered d as “hot” topics” towards a general audience);

Promotional material

o Posters of various formats, billboards, folders, brochures;
o Ads, banners, links with websites;
o Mention of "This European Researchers' Night project is funded by the European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions" on all promotional material displayed;
o Promotional gadgets (displayed through the European corner notably), complying with the general guidelines available at
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/services/visual_identity/index.en.htm

Overview of the results

o Conception, realisation of promotional material: posters (2000 B1 format copies), roll ups (3 items), programmes (5000 booklets), invitations (1800 DL format copies), leaflets (25000 DL format copies);
o Public advertising (billboards, citylights, display of promotional material in streets…): 3 billboards, 10 swing signs, posters in 100 public transport buses, a promotional bus tapped with ERN’s ad, 25 000 door-to-door leaflets, 1000 programmes, 100 announcements on notificarion columns, all displayed and disseminated in the City centre, most frequented public spos, housing areas and schools;
o Airing of annoucements/advertising /programmes/interviews on radio and Tv stations : 10 popular science broadcasts, 20 interviews and 30 advertising spots in local and regional radio stations; 10 announcemnts, 8 interviews and 3 felietons in the biggest regional TV station;
o Invitations sent (mention the main destinataries); President of the City, Marshal of the City,Chief Education Officer,educational bodies, regional administration, B+R centres, industry representatives, science&technology parks, university of third age, schools, etc.;
o Annoucements during public events : Science Picnic in Olsztyn City Centre, IAR&AR’s Open Days, Juvenalia Student Festival, Science Picnic of Copernicus Park and Polish Radio, Olsztyn Science and Art Days, Polish Academy of Kids;
o Pre events: flash mob in the shopping mall, information actions in the city centre, exhibitions in Public Library and Museum of Innovation;
o Press releases: 55;
o Publication of articles, interviews, announcements, advertising in written press (20 interviews, articles and advertisiemnts in regional and national magazines and newspapers, e.g. Olsztynska Newspaper, Made in Warmia&Mazury Magazine, Focus Magazine, Wyborcza Newspaper, etc.;
o Fusion Night website: www.nocnaukowcow.pan.olsztyn.pl. The website featured information concerning the upcoming events, topics to be elaborated upon during the Night, announcements, photographs presenting the preparations for the events, references to other European Researchers’ Nights taking place across Poland, as well as links to relevant EU websites and social networks;
o Number of hits and unique visitors on website: number of hits: 105 000, unique visitors: 24 000;
o Social network profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr…): Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google Plus (120 000 hits and likes);
o Other commucniation material that you consider relevant: Internet advertising banners – 400 000 hits;
o Overall numer of people likely to have been aware of the Researchers'Night and its objectives – 600 000.

I.1.2 ACTIVITIES DURING THE NIGHT

Tasks undertaken

List of locations and venues involved

Olsztyn,
o Bydgoska Street (premises of both participants) including laboratories, lecture theatres, assembly halls and outdoor infrastructure as well as swimming pool, library, centre for health and sport, fitness rooms, sporting fields, as well as the centre for physiotherapy and body posture;
o Museum of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn Castle, exhibition and lecture halls;
o Art Galleries in the City;
o Marshall’s Office;
o Olsztyn Public Library in the Old Town, exhibition halls;
o ABC Multimedia Library;
o Museum of Innovation, exhibition halls.

Main types of activities planned
Hands-on experiments, demos, simulations, science shows, games, competitions, quizzes, lab visits, display of films, sport games, lectures, crime investigation, presentations, workshops, concerts, science dating, European corner.

Detailed programme of activities

LECTURES

o “Take a walk on the Wild Side” Open Lecture;
o “Zoopsychology” accompanied with a show of police dogs training
o “Transplantology – facts and myths”;
o ‘Research works in overcoming health and social challenges, and facilitation of urban management in relation to homeless animals”;

o “How to crack the nutrition facts label” - how to use this information more effectively and easily, thanks to knowledge and skills designed to make the use of nutrition labels easier and facilitate aware selection of food;
o “Why do we learn throughout our entire life? – meeting with the Rector of OSHE and researcher of IAR&FR’s Microbiological Laboratory in one person.

WORKSHOPS, HANDS ON EXPERIMENTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS

o Tasty skin,- feel on your own skin how fruits work (cosmetic use of powders obtained from fruits notably);
o “Electronic catapult” – building robots with the use of recent technological innovations
o “Anatomy of senses” – evaluation of food products in a Sensory Laboratory
o Discover antioxidants in you juice, test in yourself!: bring one’s preferred juice and have it analysed by scientists;
o Free test for the preliminary diagnosis of celiac disease for around 200 visitors;
o Edutaining competition for building the most innovative doghouses and cat trees;
o “What crunches in a carrot?” Kids will enjoy a live interactive presentation of crushing carrots and other fruits/vegetables;
o “Fusion of senses, smell the world around you”, exploration of a broad range of smells, both natural and artificial;
o “What is responsible for our weight? Genes or our diet? see how unique research equipment for evaluating the content of fat in a human organism work, and undergo an analysis of checking the ratio of their fat tissue to their muscle weight;
o Why red cabbage is is red while carrot is orange? hands-on experiments, preparing “magic cabbage juice”, with tasting, colour changes …
o “Vitamins fusion or health illusion” - bio, ecological and functional food, importance of reading products labels and increasing one’s knowledge about food additives, pros and cons;
o Is our brain cheating us? – discovering the curiosities of neuroscience
o Science demonstration “To prevent the outbreak of epidemic” – taking an insight into the origins of epidemic;
o Examination of RN visitors’ body posture, exercises having beneficial effect for spins and overall physical conditions;
o Cooperation with scientists to exploit snails in the food, cosmetic and regeneration medicine branches of industry, demos and “snail race” contest for kids, prepared on specially designed race boards, display of film on such topic;
o “Innovative bread – where a baker meets a researcher”: cooperation between scientists and bakers;
o “Can industry “live” in harmony with the environment?” - demo of the various possibilities offered to researchers by industrial circles;
o ICE LAND, a mobile laboratory of cryo conservation used in studies on the protection of animals threatened with extinction;
o “Rollover Simulator” – discovering the bearing of research innovations on the daily life of people;
o 7D Cinema – a guided your around a research laboratory in a 7D technology;
o “Micro-zoo” – designing bacteria inhabiting our intestine;
o “DNA memory – how our cells store the genetic data”

GAMES, ENTERTAINMENT

o Game of disabled basketball players moving on specially designed wheelchairs open to around 200 Researchers’ Night visitors;
o Salsa dance course combined with seminars on the curiosities connected with the culture of Latin American countries;
o Aqua aerobic classes ran in the Academic Pool of the OSHE;
o “Metamorphosis corner”, where make-up artists will “change” their faces into their favourite animals or cartoon characters;
o Edutainment street game for kids (based on knowledge on food and animal husbandry);
o Several Edutaining games in ABC Library;
o Adventure in a forest – quizzes, interactive games and competitions on the knowledge of biodiversity conducted in a mobile forest installation.
o Culinary show of world famous chef - Kurt Scheller;
o Meeting with Jan Mela - the youngest person to reach the North and South Pole in one year; head of the Foundation "Beyond the horizons" supporting disabled people.

OTHER ACTIVTIES POSSIBLE TOPICS:

o How many children do have moms at farms?
o Evidence of the crime;
o Hormones small yet powerful;
o Digestive tract – let’s look inside;
o Aromatherapy from scratch;
o Amazing cat’s amours;
o Coping with contemporary challenges of demography;
o Transplantology and me
o Nothing grows faster than antler…
o Magical chemistry
o The Night of Science Adventure
o Can we walk on milk?
o Culinary revolutions with a chemist
o Is my leg leg stronger than right?
o Therapeutical fairytales

European corner

Number: One
Location: most frequented place in the venue of the whole event;

Activities planned:
o Display of informative and promotional material;
o Permanent presence of personnel likely answering any question from the audience about EU programmes and policies;
o Witnesses from researchers and MC fellows about their benefiting from EU support and research mobility programmes;
o Demonstration/presentation about EU-funded projects and their bearing on the society;
o Examples and synergies between European mobility programmes and ERASMUS;
o European Researchers' Night MSCA roll-up (entrance of the event) complying with the following content and format requirements: 200 X 85 cm, and the mentions: "European Researchers' Night", "Marie Skłodowska-Curie: an inspiration to follow";
o An image provided by the European Commission;

Overview of the results

o Attendees to the Night were offered an array of over 70 diversified activities, including hands-on experiments (e.g. Anatomy of senses, Electronic catapult), lab visits (How and where science is done?) science shows (e.g. Magic chemistry, Is our brain cheating us ), dating researchers (e.g. Meet a scientist with passion – tissue in a stained glass), interactive installations (e.g. 7D Mobile Cinema, Rollover Simulator), exhibitions (e.g. Science that surrounds us, Fascinating science photographs), workshops (e.g. Super power food - culinary workshops, Microzoo – designing bacteria), sports competitions (Salsa dance course, Wheelchair basketball game), medical tests (e.g. Diagnostic test of celiac disease, Pressure for life – checking the age of heart), science-industry innovation corners (e.g. Prohealth bread, Snail Race), concerts (e.g. Chopin Orchestra), European corner.
o Overall number of researchers involved in the implementation of the activities: 170, amongst which:
o Researchers having benefitted from Marie Curie schemes: 6
o Researchers having benefitted from another EU support: 21

Overall number of visitors: 9 000

o Relying on Eurobarometer survey on “Europeans, science and technologies”;
o Innovative strategy for Warmia and Mazury regional development;
o Studies conducted by the national institute for higher education in Poland;

Tools

o Drawing a scientists competition prior and after the event;
o Online questionnaire (elaborated together with other Polish projects and whether possible European ones as for getting a comparable basis of data);
o Blogs run by researchers;
o Social media and web comments (Facebook, Twitter);
o Boxes with gel bracelets to be taken by attendees (for counting);
o Face-to-face interviews;
o Written evaluation questionnaires;
o 5 focus groups comprising visitors of Researchers ‘night 2015;

Indicators and parameters to be applied

o Quantitative: number of attendees, rating of the event, participation in various activities, hits on the website, friends and followers on social networks, views of the streaming activities, videos uploaded on YouTube, number of promotional items displayed, media coverage;

o Qualitative: public opinion on researchers and their job, (association with “researcher”, characteristics of actual researchers, of desired researchers, interest expressed for science and research, interest expressed in science careers, typology of attendees, intention to take part in future similar events, involvement of researchers funded by HORIZON 2020, including MSCA actions;

Selection of the sample

o Method: random selection;
o Absolute figures: at least 3.000 feedbacks expected

OVERWIEW OF THE RESULTS:
o Organisation of a DAST-C survey prior to the event ("drawing a scientist" by school kids), followed by the same request after the event;
o Comparison and analysis of the drawings ex ante and ex post;
o Collection of on-line questionnaires filled in by visitors registered on webpage, and comparison of the results collected with those of an ex-post questionnaire sent after the event;
o Realisation of face to face interviews during the events;
o Collection and analysis of the comments, observations, suggestions posted on blogs run by researchers and through social media;
o Main conclusions:
o Overall positive feedback regarding the event (activities, interest, contacts with researchers, organisation, scheduling…);
o Typology of visitors: 45 % male and 55 % female, mostly aged 6-12 (44 %) and 13-18;
o Most successful activities: hands-on experiments, workshops and science shows implying a high interactivty level;
o Intention of the organisers to seriously limit the number of lectures and rather focus on activities combining education and entertainment;
o General will expressed y attendants in favour of a longer duration (by a few hours) of the event (to be taken into consideration in 2015);
o Improved image of researchers amongst school kids (drawings) notably through the representation of young, female, smiling and not isoldated researchers;
o Increased interest fo science careers observed amongst young people (from 75 % prior to the event up to 90 % afterwards);
o General intention expressed by attendants to take part in a similar event in the future (98 % of responders).

Overview of the results

3318 questionnaires, interiews, polls collected and processed (33% of total attendees)
Main conclusions:
o Typology of visitors: 47 % male and 53 % female, mostly aged 6-12 (36 %) and 13-18 (43%);
o Most successful activities: hands-on experiments, workshops and science shows implying a high interactivty level;
o Source of information on ERN: school (45%), friends (23%), internet (10%)
o Improved image of researchers amongst school kids (drawings) notably through the representation of young, female, smiling and accessible researchers;
o Improved recognition of research bearing on people’s everyday lives
o Increased interest fo science careers observed amongst young people (from 75 % prior to the event up to 90 % afterwards);
o General intention expressed by attendants to take part in a similar event in the future (98 % of responders).

Exhibition 2015

events during the Night 2015

Outdoor promotion 2015

Events during the Night 2014

Gadgets 2015

events during the Night 2015

Gadgets 2014

Outdoor promotion 2014

Exhibitions 2014

Exhibition 2015

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FUSION NIGHT (Find Your Passion for Science on Researchers Night)

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