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.
