RESEARCHERS FOR HUMANITY

Project Information

R4H1415

Grant agreement ID: 633297

DOI

10.3030/633297

Project closed

EC signature date 11 August 2014

Start date 1 May 2014

End date 31 October 2015

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 144 000,00

EU contribution

€ 124 000,00

Coordinated by

ASOCIATIA INVENIO
Romania

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - R4H1415 (RESEARCHERS FOR HUMANITY)

Reporting period: 2015-01-01 to 2015-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The project “Researchers for Humanity 2014-2015”, part of the European Researchers’night in Romania, gathered important players from science and education who joined their forces in creating the most important national wide project inviting the public to come, play, talk and learn about researchers and to understand how science can be used in the benefit of humanity.

Such event actually consisted of the continuation of several successful events since 2007, which contributed creating an outstanding awareness of the European dimension of the event, and made the Researchers'Night one of the most important communication event for research and education institutions.

The 2014 project specifically aimed at creating the premises for a national platform, in which every researcher, teacher or student willing to create an event for promoting researchers in their area must be able joining and getting involved, being aligned with the national strategy.

A series of educational and networking events were organised between researchers and public all throughout the year, for which Researchers’ Night played the main promotion and communication tool.

The event itself was organized by the INVENIO Association together with Target Active Training, National Institute of Research in Sport, Center for Complexity Studies in several major, medium and small Romanian cities all over the national territory.

A broad range of activities was offered to the public at large in all its components, a special focus being set on young people and kids, in particular with regard to the promotion of scientific careers. Activities included interactive activities, presentation of research results, virtual walks, talks with Romania researchers diaspora, lectures, debates, hands-on experiments, science shows, demos, crime investigation, EU corners

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

I.1.1. AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Tasks undertaken
Target audiences
o Public at large regardless of age and scientific background;
o Special attention paid to kids and young people, especially those facing a career choice;
Messages conveyed
o Researchers’ work makes citizens’ life easier every day;
o Researchers are amongst us, with their job for humanity evolution
o Researchers are ordinary people with an extraordinary job;
o Researchers 4 Humanity
o This is not a visit, but a journey/ This is not a job, is a passion / This is not about results, it’s about progres
o Messages modulated according to the target audience and the channel;
Off line
o Publication of articles, interviews, announcement in science magazines business magazines (BIZ), national and local newspapers;
o Publication of press releases;
o Participation in public events;
o Airing of TV interviews (digi Tv, Realitatea, Antena, TVR, Neptun TV, Alpha Tv);
o Airing of radio interviews (Radio Romania Cultural);
o Public advertising (billboard in each city involved both indoors and outdoors);
o Promotion of the event towards public authorities (Ministry of Education and Research, National authority for research);
o Airing of a promotional spot in public spaces (subway, airports, fast foods, public tranport (Bucharest) shopping malls, through Zoom Tv;
On line
o Revamping of project website(publication of pictures and videos from all over Europe, constant updating and maintenance;
o Revamping of social network profiles, updating and maintenance;
o Internet blogs;
o On line press releases;
Promotional material
o Written material such as flyers, posters, maps of the event, banners, roll up;
o Promotional give away such as key chains, brain teasers, pins, personalised gadgets, leaflets
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 and display of promotional material: posters of various fromats, flyers, diplomas, stickers, bookmarks, T-shirts, displayed before, and durignt he event, both at national and local levels;
o Pulbic advertising: city banners throughout Bucharest,
o Publication of articles, announcements, interviews in online press (Alba Iulia, Arad, Bacau, Barlad, Brasov, Bucharest, Constanta, Deva, Galati, Oradea, P. Neamt, Suceava, Tg Jiu);
o Publication of press releases (prior and after the event);
o Organisation of pre-events:
o Display of fliers and posters in educational institutions;
o Display of promotional material in venues prior to the event;
o Airing of promotional psots, announcements, documentaries, interviews on various TV and radio stations (DIGI TV, Pro FM radio, Blitz TV, Radio Romania Cultural);
o Revamping, constant updating and maintenance of project website www.noapteacercetatorilor.eu ;
o 140.509 pages visits, 30.117 visits, 21.929 unique visitors, 841.415 hits on project website;
o Revamping and updating of project social network profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr);
o Over 14.000 likes on Facebook profiles;
o Over 500.000 people made awareof the Researchers'night and its objectives.
I.1.2 ACTIVITIES DURING THE NIGHT
Tasks undertaken
Locations and venues
o Alba-Iulia;
o Arad;
o Barlad;
o Brasov;
o Bucharest;
o Constanta;
o Deva;
o Galati;
Types of activities planned
Interactive activities, presentation of research results, virtual walks, talks with Romania researchers diaspora, lectures , debates, hands on experiments, science shows, demos, crime investigation, EU corners
Detailed programme of activities
Common activity to all locations
Special designed space covering various activities, and presenting research results in various topics, in terms of daily life’s improvement, i.e.:
o Tech zone: technical researchers and organisations;
o Life, earth and space sciences: sport and medicine researchers;
o Socio humanistic sciences: linguists, historians, any other researcher in socio humanistic science
Examples of topics
o Gigi 3rd robot, 3d printers (tech zone);
o Human performances of Romanian athlets (life, earth and space sciences);
o Anthropology, understanding patterns in society (psycho sociology) (socio humanistic sciences)
Art section
o Time capsule (photos taken during the event taking a message for the Researchers’ Night 2025), draw their perception of the researchers’ work (with words and images on big cardboards) ;
o Interactive discussions with experts on the field, pointing out the possible relationship between science and art and not only science and techniques;
Scifun zone
o Interactive quizzes and games, animated by a team of volunteers;
o Who killed science: crime scenes in 3 fields of science (murders or deaths for public ignorance);
o Think about a researcher: collection of instant words defining researchers and their works on a wall;
o Lottery rewarding those having participated to the impact assessment exercise (see further)
Entertainment
o Thanking moment for all people, involved in the implementation of the actions;
o Performances by local artists;
European corners
Number: at least 12 (one per city involved)
Location: in the most frequented places, i.e. info points and scifun zones,
Activities planned:
o Display of general information about EU and research funding at EU level, display of flyers and printed materials;
o Display of pictures and videos about Researchers’ Night in previous years in all Europe;
o Games addressing different ages (mindgame);
o Display of promotional gadgets marked with EU label;
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 Offer of the activities as planned in Annex I part B to the Grant Agreement, namely:
o 21 socio-humanistic workshops at overall level, of which 14 in Bucharest;
o 26 workshops dedicated to life, earth, and space sciences of which 2 in Bucharest;
o 5 Workhops "think about a researcher" (drawing), 5 activities "message for 10", one phot booth in Bucharest, 13 artisic performances and one laser show in Bucharest in the framework of SCIFUN;
o 13 tombolas organised and run at national level;
o 13 science cafés organised at national level;
o Offer of 52 interaction points in the cities involved, of which 35 in Bucharest, 8 in Targu Jiu, 5 in Arad, 4 in Oradea, including info stands and European corners;
o Active involvement of 235 researchers in the implementation of the activities, while 75 have been constantly involved in the preparatory activities, of whom: 2 researchers having benefitted from MSCA;
o 30.000 visitors having taken part ott he activities offered, distributed as follows:
o 18.000 in Bucharest;
o 2.000 in Deva;
o 1.500 in Constanta, Piatra Neamt and Suceava each;
o 1.000 in Labra Iulia, Bacau and Brasov each;
o 800 in Targu Jiu;
o 500 in Oradea, Galati and Barlad each;
o 200 in Arad
I.1.3 IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Tasks undertaken
Description of the current situation
o Relying on precious impact assessment exercises in the framework of previous Researchers’ night in Romania and Eurobarometer;
o Main conclusions of previous exercises: researchers are interesting people representing an important contribution to society (80 % of attendees), specific appreciation of the possibility for exchanges and discussions about research and innovation in occasion of the Researchers ‘nights (30%); big importance of science in society (80%)
Tools
o Web survey launched prior to the event, written questionnaires, focus group, instant queries;
o This year we had 1 questionnaire for all typologies of people, that was more complex
Indicators and parameters to be applied
o For assessing the success of the action: number of attendees in all sites, associated events (5 planned at this stage), number of people reached and informed, number of promotional items displayed, number of responses to impact questionnaires
o For assessing the possible impact regarding public perception of researchers: openness towards live interaction with researchers, associations with the word “researcher”, characteristics of actual and desired researchers, increased interest expressed for science, increased motivation to undertake a science career, intention to attend future similar events
Selection of the sample
o Method: random selection of participants;
o Absolute figures: about 1% of attendee should provide a feedback, about 2.500.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Overview of the results
- Collection and processiong of various feedbacks, namely 42 on line surveys, 430 paper questionnaires displayed during the event 1.850 feedbacks rhtough the national lottery and 5 focus groups in Bucharest with researchers;

Main conclusions:
o Typology of visitors: approximate balance 50-50 between male and female attendees, over 50 % young people and students, youngest attendee 3 oldest 70, over 70 % responders gradutes while most without scientific background;
Knowledge about the event: public advertising, word of mouth, on line announcements, …;
o Overall positive feedback regarding locations and venues, concrete organisation, scheduling, activities proposed, contacts with researchers…;
o Increased interest for the event expressed by both public and mass media compared to previous editions;
o Active support from local public authorities nationwide;
o Most successful activities: private research (companies acting in research fields), combination of entertainment and science, interferences with young researchers holding an accessible language to the audience;
o Impact on public image of researchers and their work: improved understanding of innovative and interactive character of the researchers'work, including the less known ones;
o Increased interest expressed by young people for scientfici careers, noably through the "5highSchools, 5Sciences" activity (elaboration of research projects by students and researchers, projects presented during the events): will expressed by 37 young people to get involved in educational projects

Possible improvements to bring to the events themselves:reinforced involvement of research private sector, notably NGOs (increased involvement already realised and highly appreciated by attendees

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