Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SCICLI (Science for Climate)
Reporting period: 2021-05-01 to 2021-12-31
Taking the European Green Deal as a point of departure the "Science for Climate" (SCICLI) project aimed to achieve two main goals: (i) raise Portuguese citizens' awareness, particularly young people, towards innovation and research being conducted in Europe to develop green technology, industry and transport and to preserve ecosystems and natural resources; and (ii) bring researchers closer to civil society, enabling meaningful opportunities for communities to express their concerns and expectations about research and, more generally, about science to face climate changes. This direct connection with people's concerns allowed a simple contact among all social players, responding to Responsible, Research & Innovation (RRI) goals, and brought the public attention to the need of promoting social cohesion and inclusion while preserving cultural identity and promoting the relevance of science and research to contribute for climate neutrality in the future. The consortium of this project, coordinated by the University of Lisbon through the National Museum of Natural History and Science (MUHNAC-ULisboa), combined efforts between researchers of major universities in Portugal – University of Minho, University of Lisbon, Nova University in Lisbon, University of Évora, the Lisbon University Institute and the University of Coimbra. The International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory activities allowed a direct approach to green technology and economy. This joined expertise was determinant to overcome difficulties brought by the still going COVID 19 pandemic situation and made a mixed onsite and online program possible: the onsite included 13 build-up and 160 ERN activities in four different venues from north to south of Portugal, bridging the gap between researchers and society and contributing to bring societal actors together for the research and innovation process, while the online included a full day pre-event targeting schools as well as more than 80 national activities from different scientific backgrounds on climate neutrality and ecosystems preservation. The Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies in Estoril contributed to promote biodiversity conservation while disseminating sustainable tourism and food security practices and the Lisbon municipality was a central partner for the engagement of diverse audiences and civil society stakeholders.
The joined expertise of the consortium allowed to overcome difficulties brought by the COVID 19 pandemic situation and made a mixed onsite and online program possible, both for build-up and for the ERN event, which highlighted advantages from both contexts: the online event provided the opportunity to discuss and interact directly with researchers for participants who could not visit onsite, being a factor of inclusion, while the onsite made it possible to include participatory activities. Also, while the four onsite venues received people from north to south of Portugal, the online format allowed the transversal work to present a national program using the SCICLI website and social network channels, and the team work in between Universities and partners, joining a national expertise to reach the maximum people.
From May to December 2021, we estimate to have targeted about 480 000 people in the Awareness Campaign, counting the joined effort using all communication channels of all participating organizations, from consortium and research institutions, besides the SCICLI’s channels, national written press and city advertisements. The SCICLI project involved large segments of the scientific community in public engagement and science communication through mixed onsite and online activities, for build-up and during the ERN, targeting all age groups. The onsite program reached 951 participants in build-up activities and 4681 participants in the ERN, as well as 899 researchers (156 EU support and 16 MSC schemes). The online program reached 986 students in the build-up open day targeting schools - encouraging them to actively contribute with climate neutrality solutions by choosing scientific careers - and 5864 participants/viewers in the national ERN program, involving 332 researchers.
This mixed format is proposed to be continued in future editions, taking into account the success achieved, in order to optimize inclusion, the conveying of the massage and participation.
From May to December 2021, we estimate to have targeted about 480 000 people in the Awareness Campaign, counting the joined effort using all communication channels of all participating organizations, from consortium and research institutions, besides the SCICLI’s channels, national written press and city advertisements. The SCICLI project involved large segments of the scientific community in public engagement and science communication through mixed onsite and online activities, for build-up and during the ERN, targeting all age groups. The onsite program reached 951 participants in build-up activities and 4681 participants in the ERN, as well as 899 researchers (156 EU support and 16 MSC schemes). The online program reached 986 students in the build-up open day targeting schools - encouraging them to actively contribute with climate neutrality solutions by choosing scientific careers - and 5864 participants/viewers in the national ERN program, involving 332 researchers.
This mixed format is proposed to be continued in future editions, taking into account the success achieved, in order to optimize inclusion, the conveying of the massage and participation.
The ERN2021 impact assessment results highlight:
o Despite some restrictions due to the covid-19 pandemic that were still present this year, the European Researchers Night keeps getting and setting into the Portuguese’s agenda. The interest of the public is setting in the older members of the consortium (Lisbon and Braga) and raising in the most recent members (Coimbra and Évora).
o The event attracts visitors of all age groups, but especially young people (over half of the respondents under 35 years old - 15-24 years old age group is the most represented in most venues); nearly half are students; among adults, most are highly qualified people (graduates), although most do not have scientific research-related occupations; female audience slightly higher than male. Visitors’ profile is similar to the past.
o The event is still able to attract newcomers (around two-thirds of the visitors came for the first time to ERN, similar to previous onsite editions); most people come with family members and then friends.
o The public has a very positive opinion about the event and its impacts (general organisation, activities, learning opportunities, etc.); a large majority consider that they had fun, learned, gained interest in new science topics, felt closer to researchers and they even would like to have a science-related career; not everyone changed the image they had of researchers because some visitors already had a very positive image.
o Despite a very positive impact among all visitors, women and the youngest (15-19 yrs.) seem to become more satisfied.
o The "draw a scientist" activity reveals marked differences compared to previous years – for the first time the representation of scientists as “people like us” is the most frequent and women are also, for the first time more represented in the drawings.
o The challenges that the public poses for science to solve in the coming years (“graffiti wall” activity) reveal the trend of increased concern with the environmental issues, followed by health concerns.
o The event mobilises a growing number of institutions and researchers committed to engaging directly with the public; their reasons for participating are aligned with some of the main objectives of ERN, such as having the opportunity to contact directly with the public and promote public awareness about science and about its contribution to society.
o Over half of the researchers are newcomers to ERN, and the majority already has some experience in this type of activities; participating researchers tend to be women, relatively young, with a PhD degree, from different scientific areas, a few with European funding.
o Participating researchers’ express high levels of satisfaction with the event (general organisation, interaction with the organisers, audience and impacts), especially through the on site format, and almost all intend to participate in future ERN editions.
o Response rates (visitor and researcher surveys concerning on-site activities) were higher than in past pre-pandemic editions.
o Despite some restrictions due to the covid-19 pandemic that were still present this year, the European Researchers Night keeps getting and setting into the Portuguese’s agenda. The interest of the public is setting in the older members of the consortium (Lisbon and Braga) and raising in the most recent members (Coimbra and Évora).
o The event attracts visitors of all age groups, but especially young people (over half of the respondents under 35 years old - 15-24 years old age group is the most represented in most venues); nearly half are students; among adults, most are highly qualified people (graduates), although most do not have scientific research-related occupations; female audience slightly higher than male. Visitors’ profile is similar to the past.
o The event is still able to attract newcomers (around two-thirds of the visitors came for the first time to ERN, similar to previous onsite editions); most people come with family members and then friends.
o The public has a very positive opinion about the event and its impacts (general organisation, activities, learning opportunities, etc.); a large majority consider that they had fun, learned, gained interest in new science topics, felt closer to researchers and they even would like to have a science-related career; not everyone changed the image they had of researchers because some visitors already had a very positive image.
o Despite a very positive impact among all visitors, women and the youngest (15-19 yrs.) seem to become more satisfied.
o The "draw a scientist" activity reveals marked differences compared to previous years – for the first time the representation of scientists as “people like us” is the most frequent and women are also, for the first time more represented in the drawings.
o The challenges that the public poses for science to solve in the coming years (“graffiti wall” activity) reveal the trend of increased concern with the environmental issues, followed by health concerns.
o The event mobilises a growing number of institutions and researchers committed to engaging directly with the public; their reasons for participating are aligned with some of the main objectives of ERN, such as having the opportunity to contact directly with the public and promote public awareness about science and about its contribution to society.
o Over half of the researchers are newcomers to ERN, and the majority already has some experience in this type of activities; participating researchers tend to be women, relatively young, with a PhD degree, from different scientific areas, a few with European funding.
o Participating researchers’ express high levels of satisfaction with the event (general organisation, interaction with the organisers, audience and impacts), especially through the on site format, and almost all intend to participate in future ERN editions.
o Response rates (visitor and researcher surveys concerning on-site activities) were higher than in past pre-pandemic editions.