Periodic Reporting for period 2 - RoTalkScience (RESEARCHERS' NIGHT in ROMANIA. Do you speak science?)
Período documentado: 2014-12-01 hasta 2015-12-31
The language of science indeed allows researchers from different nations and backgrounds to cooperate, correlate their results and build upon them. The situation however proves somewhat different when it comes about scientists communicating with the public at large about their work and acheivements.
The “Do you speak science?” theme combined the universality of the science language with the necessity of clearly exchanging with the public at large, whichever age and scientific background, with a view to increasing the common understanding and knowledge between scientists and general public.
Following an intensive awareness campaign addressing all the components of the public at large, with a focus on kids and young people, the project proposed a broad range of activities taking place in 6 of the largest cities in Romania, covering with surrounding counties about 90% of Romania’s territory: Bucharest, Craiova, Cluj-Napoca, Iasi, Sibiu and Timisoara.
Amongst the activities proposed, which all contained an entertainment component, can be listed: interactive experiments, “Speak Science” Cafes explaining latest Romanian and European research achievements, documentary projections, workshops, face-to-face interactions with researchers etc.
Beyond the main objective of bringing closer to each other scientists and attendees and stimulating young people’s interest for science and science careers, the project also intended to spur enthusiasm amongst research professionals for engaging with the general public.
Relying on the previous successful experiences, the project also pointed out the importance of scientific research for a modern society, and illustrated the EU’s contribution to Romanian research, while also presenting in an interactive way HORIZON 2020 and its potential positive impact.
Beyond the special attention that was paid to young people and kids as referred to above a particular focus was set on women attendees, as well as on special groups, such as pupils and parents from rural regions, kids with special educational needs and children from the gifted education programme and their trainers.
Special tours were furthermore organised for policy-makers in educational area, science teachers and science journalists.
Target audiences
o Public at large, regardless of age and scientific background;
o Special attention to be paid to primary, junior, high school students, students aged 18-25, with a focus on those about making a career choice;
o Also special attention to adults, mainly parents of primary and junior students, senior citizens, grandparents;
o Management and middle management in the secondary education, researchers;
Messages conveyed
o Researchers are among us;
o Researchers are ordinary people with an extraordinary job;
o Research is easy to understand when “translated” properly and clearly and it has a huge impact on citizens’ daily lives;
o By “speaking science”, researchers are getting closer to the public, engaging audiences in finding out more about their lives and careers;
o Science is an universal language, enabling researchers from all over Europe to work together and make a real difference in our future and our societies, with European funded projects;
Main communication tools to rely on
Off line
o Publication of articles, announcements, advertisement in several press media: Publication of press releases:;
o Public advertising campaign through “do you speak science” cards (encouraging users to pose as explaining scientists and post the picture to their social media profile) and teasers: “do you speak science” signs explaining a fun scientific fact about a phenomenon easily observed;
o Direct calls to educational managers and counsellors; Direct mailing to school education managers and counsellors Classic P.R. campaign such as interviews pitches, special lab guided preview tours;
o Partnerships with institutions, media and businesses:
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On line
o Revamping , constant updating and maintenance of project website;
o Links with other participants’ websites, institutional and popular websites;
o Revamping of social networks’ profiles (Facebook, Twitter): Banner exchanges with partners institutions (members websites, media partners, schools embeddable banners for blogs and other websites, Facebook badges);
o QR codes for smartphones on all promotional material;
Promotional material
o Web banners, web buttons, social media aps: 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 of promotional material:, namely posters, leaflets, programmes, pocket calendars, timetables, rollups displayed in campuses and venues;
o Public advertising : billboards, citylights, display of promotional material in streets…, indoor electronic billboards in shopping malls (Iasi and Bucharest), public places and advertsing spot in public transport (Iasi);
o Airing of announcements, promotional spots, interviews and broadcasts on regional and national radio and TV stations, including a promotional radio contest;
o Sending of invitiations to previous participants, teachers in kindergartens, schools, high schools, businesses, cultural institutions;
o Promotion during other public events, such as the annual meeting of physics teachers in Bucharest and Pub Quiz Trivia Night in Iasi;
o Organsiation of pre-events:
o Flash mobs and teasing activities;
o Video contest "How I discovered my passion for science";
o Display of teaser video on project's Youtube Channel;
o Organisation of one press conference on 22nd of September, Iași, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University;
o Publication of 2 Press releases;
o Publication of articles, interviews, announcements, advertising in on and off- line press(newspapers, magazines, on line newspapers) ;
o Revamping and cosnatnt updating of projectwebsite: www.noapteacercetatorilor.eu - #doyouspeakscience (programme, photo galeery, organisers, promotion of event and contests);
o 21.929 unique visitors, 30.117 hits on project website;
o Revamping and cosnatnt upatding of social network profiles, namely Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NoapteaCercetatorilor/ ;
o 12.811 "likes" on Facebook profile;
o About 700.000 people made aware of the Researchers'Night and its objectives.
ACTIVITIES DURING THE NIGHT
List of locations and venues involved
o Bucharest: AFI Palace Bucharest Mega Mall; “Grigore Antipa” National Museum of Natural History; Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy;
o Craiova: National Theatre Square, Streets around Campus of Craiova University, Main Hall;
o Cluj Napoca: Central Park and Casino Urban Cultural Centre, Faculty of Physics, Astronomical Observatory;
o Iasi: Palas shopping mall (in the city centre, attracting an average of 20.000 visitors daily, with a special open entertainment area) and city centre;
o Sibiu: Transilvania Hall;
o Timisoara: Experimentarium (an interactive fun science centre, the first one in Romania),Astronomical Observatory and Campus of West University of Timisoara
Main types of activities planned
Hands-on experiments, science shows, quizzes, lab visits (based on public requests), science cafés, display of science movies, European corners…
Detailed programme of activities
Common theme to all locations/venues: Do you speak science?
HANDS-ON EXPERIMENTS
Bucharest
Physics experiments in optics and lasers, mechanics, electricity, physics of gas and earth science; robotics, infrared photography, science animation, Interactive experiments in optics (light manipulation), electricity and magnetism, plasma physics, earth science, explanation on crystal types and their appearance, constructions of various forms of crystalline orientation, souvenirs –in connection with the International year of Crystallography (2014), activities involving a particle detector; origami, lunar craters, microscopy and observations of nuclear emulsions;
Cluj Napoca
Elementary particles, optical spectroscopy, physics and forensics, demos, simulations related to electricity, magnetisms, optics, solid state physics and medical physics; giant soap bubbles, tooth paste for elephants, plants and liquid nitrogen, chemical volcanoes, invisible ink messages, carbonic ice, flames, rainbows, sound propagation;
Craiova
Flying glass, dry ice eruptions, liquid nitrogen experiments, chocolate balloons, water candles, alcohol stove, paper circuit, magnets experiments, freaky liquid metal, magnetic
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fluid, wireless homopolar motor strange phenomenon, chemical volcanoes, pharaoh snake, sugar and acid eruption;
Iasi
Lasers and gas discharges, astronomy for beginners, liquid nitrogen experiments, plasma lamps, fun chemistry (volcanoes, guns, colloids), vacuum gun, crystals and crystallography, decorative objects based on physical phenomena, optical phenomena with high impact to the public (e.g. fluorescence, lamps, lasers), electricity and magnetism and our everyday life, mobile laboratories (e.g. guest researchers from National Environmental Protection Agency, General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, Mobile Forensics Laboratory);
Sibiu
Make Brownian motion evident in suspensions; biological samplings (vertebrate and invertebrate) in Cibin River; hands-on experiments with various scientific sampling gears; in situ analyse of the biological samplings (vertebrate and invertebrate) in aquariums and at binoculars; reconstruction of past: how the science changed the ancients lives (pottery, metals, time measurements, roads and buildings); manipulating 3D models and 3D printing, robot Show;
Timisoara
Encompass various fields of physics: classical mechanics, electricity, optics, interesting and fun demonstrations: air pillow transport, electricity generation using bicycles, pulley alpinism, practical demonstrations and meetings with researchers from high performance laboratories, crystal growth, fabrication and characterisation of magnetic materials, nanotechnology, X rays and renewable energy, space exploration conducted at the astronomical observatory in Timisoara.
SCIENCE CAFES
o Located in public spaces and moderated by renowned science communicators;
o Informal debates with researchers close to the public;
o Topics such as
o Voyager 1 and 2: Crossing the limits of the solar system;
o Physics, chemistry and biology of life;
o ELI-NP: recent advancement and perspectives;
o Physics and the latest technologies of the moment;
o Physics and Complexity, the world we live in;
o “From spyglass to telescope” as part of the celebration of the Galilei Year, hosted at the Astronomical Observatory in Timisoara;
o Romanian experiment on the International Space Station (fungi in space);
o Connecting to the Antares experiment control room and learning about neutrinos;
o Ultra high energy cosmic rays and the Pierre Auger Observatory;
o Elementary particles – the building blocks of the Universe;
o Optical Spectroscopy and forensic investigations;
o How the ancient inventions change the world and create a competition for understanding the principles of democracy;
o Digital photography;
o The role of Romania in the European Research Area;
CONTESTS AND GAMES
Drawing contest: the best drawings selected from the compulsory theme drawing marathon: reward: amusing science prizes;
o Paper airplanes contest, for children up to 10 years participating in the event;
o "I'm a physicist", science experiments, projects and demonstrations, carried out by primary and secondary school students;
o Free lectures contest "And I speak as a scientist", for students of primary and secondary school;
o Short video/multimedia-presentation contest "What brings science into my life";
o Trivia quiz on general knowledge in physics (according to participants age); the winners will receive scientific kits on electricity, magnetism, mechanics, optics, chemistry, etc.;
o Poster presentation for high school students and gymnasium on physics, chemistry, biology, robotics themes;
o Hydro-bikes racing competition;
SCIENCE MOVIES PROJECTIONS, SCIENCE ANIMATION
SCIENCE VINES VIDEOS
SCIENCE POSTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHY
ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS
Celebrating 450 years from Galileo Galilei birth: facts on his life as known by participants, dedicated area, including astronomical observations, learn types of galaxies;
European corners
Number: 6, one in each of the cities involved;
Location: frequented areas;
Activities planned:
o Display of informative and promotional material;
o Witnesses from researchers and MC fellows having benefited from EU support about their experience and research mobility;
o Permanent presence of personnel likely answering to the audience’s questions about EU policies and programmes, notably through Europe Direct offices;
o Demonstration/presentation on research projects EU-funded;
o Display of short videos on EU funded projects;
o Contests and quizzes addressing young participants;
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 to be provided on due time by the European Commission;
IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Description of the current situation
o Study on science and society in Romania 2010;
o Previous impact assessment exercise from the 2013 edition of the Researchers’ night in Romania;
Tools
o Ex-ante on line questionnaire for general public;
o Ex-ante social media conversation/polls ;
o Direct polling of pupils visiting the institution in April, in the framework of the action « school differently » ;
o Traffic monitoring on website and social media accounts;
o Reports in the press and other websites;
o Face to face interviews during the events; and questionnaires available on site;
o Follow up questionnaire via electronic mailing after the event;
Indicators and parameters to be applied
o Quantitative: number of attendees, rating of the event, participation in various activities, hits on the website, friends and followers on social networks, views of the streaming activities, videos uploaded on YouTube, number of promotional items displayed, media coverage;
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o Qualitative: public opinion on researchers and their job, (association with “researcher”, characteristics of actual researchers, of desired researchers, interest expressed for science and research, interest expressed in science careers, typology of attendees, intention to take part in future similar events, involvement of researchers funded by HORIZON 2020, including MSCA actions;
Selection of the sample
o Method: random selection;
o Absolute figures: 2.000 pupils in pre-event activities (science differently), 100 social media accounts feedback, 500 questionnaires on site filled, 1.000 post event feedbacks.
o Collection, analysis and processing of 1.500 feedbacks, representing about 5 % of the overall visitors;
o Main conclusions:
o Typology of visitors:
o Gender: over 50 % female, mostly young visitors (74 % under 18) 45 % under 14, 29 % aged 15-18, 10% aged 19-24, 11 % 25-45 and 2,3 % over 45, the youngest being aged 5, the oldest 69;
o Educational background: 38 % seedocnary school, 36 % primary school, 15 % higher education and 8 % high school;
o Mostly originary from the cities participating, namely Bucharest, Cluj, Craiova, Iasi, Sibiu, Timisoara;
o Konwledge about the event: 75 % word pofmouth (57 % school, 13 % freidns, 5 % parents), 16 % social networks (Facebook), 5 % press;
o Most successful activities: levitating train, robots explained, IT-related experiments;
o Not so successful activities: science cafes (too loud a setting);
o Improved public opinion about researchers and their work: 88 % of responders after having taken part in the event;
o Increased interest for scientific careers , for 87% of respondents (more or a lot more willing to undertake a science career after having taken part in the events);
o Possible improvements with a view to a future similar event:
o Alternative locations to be identified in case of bad weather conditions;
o Larger venues to identify or improvement of the installation;
o Increased interactivity of the activities offered.
o Overall positive feedback regarding the event itself (organization, contact with researchers, activities offered, interest, locations, schedule…);
o Increased understanding of the researchers and their job by the public at large;
o Increased interest for science linked issues demonstrated by the audience, in particular the young people and kids;
o Improved understanding of the science's multinational character and of the societal positive impact of the researchers' works;
o Increased interest for science careers from young people