Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SHARPER (SHAring Researchers’ Passion for Education and Rights - The European Researchers’ Night in Italy 2024-2025)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2024-04-01 al 2025-11-30
The SHARPER 2024/2025 project represents the European Researchers’ Night across 15 Italian cities (Ancona, Bari, Cagliari, Camerino, Catania, Genoa, L'Aquila, Macerata, Nuoro, Palermo, Pavia, Perugia, Sassari, Terni, and Trieste). It forms part of the broader ERN international cultural initiative aimed at strengthening dialogue between citizens and researchers. The SHARPER acronym stands for SHAring Researchers’ Passion for Education and Rights, highlighting the urgent need to promote inclusive access to education and cultural opportunities. This commitment is reflected in dedicated actions such as the “Researchers at Schools” work package and underscores the importance of reaching audiences beyond those traditionally involved in science-related activities. Through a wide range of engagement approaches and communication formats, people of all ages have had the opportunity to meet researchers from diverse disciplines, gaining insight into how research connects with everyday life and contributes to society as a whole. The core objectives of SHARPER are to:
- help students better understand the world of research and inspire them to pursue scientific careers, actively contributing to the future;
- equip teachers with effective tools to strengthen dialogue between researchers and younger generations;
- foster social inclusion within research processes by overcoming social and cultural barriers;
- encourage young people to consider research as a meaningful career path;
- present researchers as inspiring role models, driven by curiosity, passion, and expertise;
- communicate the essential role of research in addressing major global challenges;
- promote strong partnerships between researchers and citizens to support knowledge-based innovation;
- harness researchers’ enthusiasm and emotions to make science accessible and understandable to everyone;
- build a national community of researchers who are also skilled communicators, connected at the European level with fellow science communicators.
The project’s expected qualitative impact is to strengthen collaboration among all stakeholders, ultimately enhancing meaningful and lasting engagement between citizens and the research community.
- help students better understand the world of research and inspire them to pursue scientific careers, actively contributing to the future;
- equip teachers with effective tools to strengthen dialogue between researchers and younger generations;
- foster social inclusion within research processes by overcoming social and cultural barriers;
- encourage young people to consider research as a meaningful career path;
- present researchers as inspiring role models, driven by curiosity, passion, and expertise;
- communicate the essential role of research in addressing major global challenges;
- promote strong partnerships between researchers and citizens to support knowledge-based innovation;
- harness researchers’ enthusiasm and emotions to make science accessible and understandable to everyone;
- build a national community of researchers who are also skilled communicators, connected at the European level with fellow science communicators.
The project’s expected qualitative impact is to strengthen collaboration among all stakeholders, ultimately enhancing meaningful and lasting engagement between citizens and the research community.
The 2024/2025 edition of SHARPER marked a significant advancement in expanding the scope of the Researchers’ Night, both in terms of geographical coverage and thematic breadth. The growing involvement of stakeholders across the country contributed to a wider impact on audiences of all ages.
During the initial phase of the project, two parallel programme strands were developed: (a) joint initiatives combining online and in-person formats, with a strong emphasis on on-site activities and shared school-focused projects that successfully linked students and researchers based in different locations; and (b) locally designed programmes including pre-events, Night activities, and school-oriented initiatives.
The SHARPER network continued to grow, extending beyond the original 15 host cities to include additional towns and villages, reaching a total of 19 locations. This territorial enlargement represented one of the project’s key accomplishments.
Another major achievement was the integration of centralized and decentralized approaches within each city, enabling the project to engage new and more diverse audiences. All 15 cities adopted a blended model of online and on-site activities, strengthening the sense of a nationwide SHARPER community.
Building on experience gained over previous editions, partners demonstrated flexibility in responding to schools’ needs, adapting planned activities and customizing formats based on specific requests, thus engaging a broad student population. Across the two editions, more than 2,000 activities were delivered by a large collaborative team involving over 6,000 researchers, fostering an expanding community of science communicators.
Finally, partnerships with cultural institutions and stakeholders throughout Italy further reinforced collective efforts to bridge the gap between the research community and citizens, contributing to a growing shared commitment to public engagement.
During the initial phase of the project, two parallel programme strands were developed: (a) joint initiatives combining online and in-person formats, with a strong emphasis on on-site activities and shared school-focused projects that successfully linked students and researchers based in different locations; and (b) locally designed programmes including pre-events, Night activities, and school-oriented initiatives.
The SHARPER network continued to grow, extending beyond the original 15 host cities to include additional towns and villages, reaching a total of 19 locations. This territorial enlargement represented one of the project’s key accomplishments.
Another major achievement was the integration of centralized and decentralized approaches within each city, enabling the project to engage new and more diverse audiences. All 15 cities adopted a blended model of online and on-site activities, strengthening the sense of a nationwide SHARPER community.
Building on experience gained over previous editions, partners demonstrated flexibility in responding to schools’ needs, adapting planned activities and customizing formats based on specific requests, thus engaging a broad student population. Across the two editions, more than 2,000 activities were delivered by a large collaborative team involving over 6,000 researchers, fostering an expanding community of science communicators.
Finally, partnerships with cultural institutions and stakeholders throughout Italy further reinforced collective efforts to bridge the gap between the research community and citizens, contributing to a growing shared commitment to public engagement.
The SHARPER 2024/2025 edition generated strong momentum across participating cities, driven by continuous cooperation among partners and local stakeholders. This collaborative approach made it possible to refine and adapt communication formats throughout the project, addressing both the general public and school communities. Feedback collected through pre- and post-event questionnaires revealed consistently high levels of audience satisfaction and reaffirmed the strong trust Italians place in scientific institutions and researchers. The data also showed that SHARPER attracted a relatively young audience, with an average age of 32, compared to the national average of 47–49. Insights gained from monitoring activities and data analysis helped identify key areas for further improvement in future editions of the European Researchers’ Night, including:
(a) achieving a better balance between centralized and decentralized initiatives within cities to engage broader audiences;
(b) refining school-oriented formats to better align with teachers’ needs, schedules, curricula, and classroom planning;
(c) expanding virtual opportunities for schools, enabling online visits to research facilities and interactions with early-career researchers from different disciplines;
(d) strengthening citizen involvement during the project design phase.
Together, these actions aim to reach new and underserved audiences, particularly those facing social barriers or geographic isolation.
(a) achieving a better balance between centralized and decentralized initiatives within cities to engage broader audiences;
(b) refining school-oriented formats to better align with teachers’ needs, schedules, curricula, and classroom planning;
(c) expanding virtual opportunities for schools, enabling online visits to research facilities and interactions with early-career researchers from different disciplines;
(d) strengthening citizen involvement during the project design phase.
Together, these actions aim to reach new and underserved audiences, particularly those facing social barriers or geographic isolation.