Periodic Reporting for period 2 - R4H2223 (Researchers for Humanity 2022-2023)
Período documentado: 2023-02-01 hasta 2023-11-30
European Researchers’ Night 2022-2023 delivered the expected results and achieved its objectives by the implementation of an extensive and custom-made awareness campaign, offering the participants a wide range of interactive activities, increasing the national network of organizing cities, with the use of proper impact assessment tools and with the support of numerous entities involved and qualitative partnerships concluded.
Relevant messages were transmitted during the awareness campaign and reinforced during Researchers at Schools activities, pre-events and the main event. Researchers used every opportunity to bond with the public, engaging in debates, discussions and activities alongside the audience, showing the importance of their work for our daily lives and that researchers are ordinary people with extraordinary jobs. On top of that, youngsters had the chance to personally experience how the pursue of a research career can open new horizons.
The European dimension of the event was vastly promoted during the project, resulting in the increase of the network of organizing locations. European Researchers’ Night was organized in 28 cities all over Romania, being one of the most important and awaited events in terms of science and research.
Carefully planning and implementing every phase of the project aimed to maximize the results. The awareness campaign reached out to people at national level, focusing on presenting the objectives of the project, getting the public acquainted with some of the researchers present at the event, giving information on other related initiatives of the European Commission etc. The results of the impact assessment support the fact that European Researchers’ Night represents an unique experience, both for researchers and the general public, where the direct interaction and interactivity are key factors for making science more approachable and interesting.
Relevant messages were transmitted during the awareness campaign and reinforced during Researchers at Schools activities, pre-events and the main event. Researchers used every opportunity to bond with the public, engaging in debates, discussions and activities alongside the audience, showing the importance of their work for our daily lives and that researchers are ordinary people with extraordinary jobs. On top of that, youngsters had the chance to personally experience how the pursue of a research career can open new horizons.
The European dimension of the event was vastly promoted during the project, resulting in the increase of the network of organizing locations. European Researchers’ Night was organized in 28 cities all over Romania, being one of the most important and awaited events in terms of science and research.
Carefully planning and implementing every phase of the project aimed to maximize the results. The awareness campaign reached out to people at national level, focusing on presenting the objectives of the project, getting the public acquainted with some of the researchers present at the event, giving information on other related initiatives of the European Commission etc. The results of the impact assessment support the fact that European Researchers’ Night represents an unique experience, both for researchers and the general public, where the direct interaction and interactivity are key factors for making science more approachable and interesting.
Researchers at Schools activities
Facilitating meetings and creating connections between researchers and youngsters by implementing Researchers at Schools activities;
Challenging researchers to develop abilities and skills in communicating with a non-scientifical audience;
Giving youngsters the chance to meet the researchers in person and discover what research work means;
Supporting teachers in developing a more scientifical approach towards lessons taught in class and identifying teaching methods the pupils and students find more appealing.
Pre-event activities
Increasing awareness and promotion of the European Researchers’ Night objectives on social media by organizing contests with questions related to the evolution of the event;
Reducing the stereotypes regarding researchers by recording video interviews with researchers and publishing them on social media in the weeks before the event;
Promotion towards the public national authorities (ministry of education and research, national authority for research);
Teaser activities in educational institutions and partners’ premises throughout the whole country;
Redesigning and constant updating of project’s website www.noapteacercetatorilor.eu
Redesigning and constant updating of social networks profiles (Facebook “Noaptea Cercetatorilor Europeni - Romania”) with relevant posts and photos of the activity, Instagram account, promoting the #ERN, #NCE2022, #NCE2023, YouTube account with videos evolution about the Romanian events of European Researchers’ Night;
Posting of announcements and articles on internet blogs, Vlog channel;
Posting of press releases online
Activities during the Night
Concept: RESEARCHERS FOR HUMANITY, the science fair, designed with specific spaces and areas based on different sciences, where visitors would actively participate in various activities, together with researchers
Topics: earth sciences, human performance, with sport and medicine researchers, social sciences with linguists, historians and any other researchers in socio-humanistic sciences, robotics and technical sciences
Activities: based on a variety of science topics, implemented in an attractive and educative way, focused on learning by doing and learning by playing oral presentations, interactive workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions, hands-on experiments, science hacks, Q&A sessions, science shows, informal talks, guided tours, quizzes, games and competitions
European dimension of the event: onsite events with dedicated EU corners (partnerships with Europe Direct centres and House of Europe), providing information about science and research in EU, offering support in finding research funding with the European area, informal talks about programmes and initiative of the EU; the website and social media pages of the event had the role of Info Points, contributing to the dissemination of information regarding other ERN projects, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and European Union
2022 ERN edition in numbers: active involvement of 554 researchers, 53.500 visitors, over 1.600.000 people made aware of the event and its objective
2023 ERN edition in numbers: active involvement of 541 researchers, 56.970 visitors, over 1.500.000 people made aware of the event and its objective
Facilitating meetings and creating connections between researchers and youngsters by implementing Researchers at Schools activities;
Challenging researchers to develop abilities and skills in communicating with a non-scientifical audience;
Giving youngsters the chance to meet the researchers in person and discover what research work means;
Supporting teachers in developing a more scientifical approach towards lessons taught in class and identifying teaching methods the pupils and students find more appealing.
Pre-event activities
Increasing awareness and promotion of the European Researchers’ Night objectives on social media by organizing contests with questions related to the evolution of the event;
Reducing the stereotypes regarding researchers by recording video interviews with researchers and publishing them on social media in the weeks before the event;
Promotion towards the public national authorities (ministry of education and research, national authority for research);
Teaser activities in educational institutions and partners’ premises throughout the whole country;
Redesigning and constant updating of project’s website www.noapteacercetatorilor.eu
Redesigning and constant updating of social networks profiles (Facebook “Noaptea Cercetatorilor Europeni - Romania”) with relevant posts and photos of the activity, Instagram account, promoting the #ERN, #NCE2022, #NCE2023, YouTube account with videos evolution about the Romanian events of European Researchers’ Night;
Posting of announcements and articles on internet blogs, Vlog channel;
Posting of press releases online
Activities during the Night
Concept: RESEARCHERS FOR HUMANITY, the science fair, designed with specific spaces and areas based on different sciences, where visitors would actively participate in various activities, together with researchers
Topics: earth sciences, human performance, with sport and medicine researchers, social sciences with linguists, historians and any other researchers in socio-humanistic sciences, robotics and technical sciences
Activities: based on a variety of science topics, implemented in an attractive and educative way, focused on learning by doing and learning by playing oral presentations, interactive workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions, hands-on experiments, science hacks, Q&A sessions, science shows, informal talks, guided tours, quizzes, games and competitions
European dimension of the event: onsite events with dedicated EU corners (partnerships with Europe Direct centres and House of Europe), providing information about science and research in EU, offering support in finding research funding with the European area, informal talks about programmes and initiative of the EU; the website and social media pages of the event had the role of Info Points, contributing to the dissemination of information regarding other ERN projects, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and European Union
2022 ERN edition in numbers: active involvement of 554 researchers, 53.500 visitors, over 1.600.000 people made aware of the event and its objective
2023 ERN edition in numbers: active involvement of 541 researchers, 56.970 visitors, over 1.500.000 people made aware of the event and its objective
Using the proper impact assessment tools (questionnaires, focus groups, Q&A sessions) for each activity made the feedback more reliable and eased the process of understanding the real situation regarding general interest in science and research, perception on researchers and their work, possibility to pursue a research career etc. Evaluating these indicators helped us determine whether the objectives of the project were still valid or if we should also focus on other aspects too. Questionnaires applied during Researchers at Schools and at the main event showed the status before and after, so we could be able to show the progress achieved by all the activities implemented. 3243 questionnaires were filled out before the event and 4068 on the day of the event at national level. 2 focus groups were carried out: one with 30 students from various fields of education and another one with 42 researchers, all of whom participated in the event.
Main impact conclusions:
Typology of visitors: most of the responders were youngsters, aged between 10 and 24 years old, the majority being women; main sources of information about the event: public advertising, pre-event activities, online announcements
Overall feedback: mostly positive feedback from both researchers and public, appreciating the organizational aspects, scheduling, variety of activities, locations and venues chosen, direct interaction and prospects for afterwards collaborations;
Results: increased interest for the event expressed by both public and mass media; boosted interest of the visitors to get involved in science projects after the event; youngsters who attended the event are more likely to pursue a scientific career, notably through the "5 Sciences" activity (elaboration of research projects by students and researchers, presented during the events).
Main impact conclusions:
Typology of visitors: most of the responders were youngsters, aged between 10 and 24 years old, the majority being women; main sources of information about the event: public advertising, pre-event activities, online announcements
Overall feedback: mostly positive feedback from both researchers and public, appreciating the organizational aspects, scheduling, variety of activities, locations and venues chosen, direct interaction and prospects for afterwards collaborations;
Results: increased interest for the event expressed by both public and mass media; boosted interest of the visitors to get involved in science projects after the event; youngsters who attended the event are more likely to pursue a scientific career, notably through the "5 Sciences" activity (elaboration of research projects by students and researchers, presented during the events).