Brilliant Researchers Impact on Growth Health and Trust in Research

Project Information

BRIGHT

Grant agreement ID: 818515

DOI

10.3030/818515

Project closed

EC signature date 16 July 2018

Start date 1 June 2018

End date 31 January 2020

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 200 000,00

EU contribution

€ 200 000,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI SIENA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BRIGHT (Brilliant Researchers Impact on Growth Health and Trust in Research)

Reporting period: 2019-04-01 to 2020-01-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The BRIGHT Project (2018-2019) was conceived as a continuation and enrichment of the experiences gained in previous editions of the European Researcher's Night. As in previous editions, the project brought together all universities and research institutes in Tuscany, with the support of the Region of Tuscany (Youth Project) and other territorial institutions.
The main objective was to bring citizens closer to the work of researchers, through direct contact with them and through the presentation and live demonstration of experiences and research projects, with an accessible language and involving communication methods that would allow anyone, from children to the elderly, to approach the "scientific method" in the many different areas in which the research operates.
Compared to previous editions, this edition of BRIGHT was intended to highlight the centrality of research work in contemporary society and its often unrecognised impact on everyday life, particularly in the face of the challenges posed to research by sustainability issues in the social, climatic, ecological and technological fields. The project also aimed at bringing public research institutions, such as universities and higher institutes, closer to private institutions and the productive realities of the territory. Although it is difficult in this regard to anticipate possible economic implications, BRIGHT also aimed to develop a dialogue with the productive realities of the territory, in order to encourage future collaborations.

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

A huge work has been performed in order to to improve and strengthen awareness of the crucial role played by university researchers within civil society.
To this end, an integrated communication strategy has been designed and implemented, involving conception, production and display of printed promotional material (i.e. posters, brochures, detailed programs), a public advertising regional advertisement common plan, involving airing of promotional spots, announcements and interviews with researchers on local radio stations and TV channels.
In order to fully reach the local and international student audience, the ERASMUS Student Network has been involved in the main Bright communication activities.
During the first half of September 2018 and 2019 press conferences has been organized, both in Florence, in collaboration with the press office of the Toscana regional government and the press offices of all project partners, and in Siena as well as in each of the four main participating cities. A national presentation of the ERN - in collaboration with all the other Italian ERN projects funded (National website, press conference at the Ministry of Research, with the Italian Minister of Research), had a considerable response in terms of audience participation and media impact.
In order to maximize the impact of the event both on specialized audiences and on the whole citizenship, communication and dissemination activities have gradually intensified in the days immediately before and after the event. Before the Night events meetings with stakeholders, regional and local authorities in each participating cities has been delivered, as well as tailored meetings and visits to schools aimed at disseminating the project and the programme.
The Citizen science project BRIGHT POLLINATION has involved training activities for researchers (communication and soft skills), divided in several modules hosted by BRIGHT partners, with teaching and learning material made accessible on IT platform, open access to all researchers beyond the project life.
In order to trigger a virtuous real-virtual-real circle, in parallel with the communication activities in presence and online Bright has planned specific actions to engage the involved cities, such as "open museums” —involving initiatives mainly aiming at young audiences through interactive experiences such as “treasure hunts” and creative laboratories— and “Science aperitifs” in local bars and pubs, with researchers informally talking with attendees about their recent studies in front of a glass of wine or beer.
The main effect of such a widespread and pervasive communication action has been the very high participation of researchers, students, stakeholders and citizenship in the dense Night programme, including Laboratories for children, Film Projection, Exhibitions, Seminars, Workshops, Concerts, Guided tours, Didactic shows, Laboratories, Quiz, Showcooking, Speaker’s corners, Open Labs (for a detailed list please see Annex I - Part B).
The most notable impact of the Night has been the active involvement of 1.517 researchers, of whom 54 having benefitted from an EU support in the framework of FP7 or Horizon 2020.

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)

The various editions of BRIGHT have gathered the growing support of all local institutions: starting from Regione Toscana and the municipal administrations, cultural institutions, schools, museums, the companies most involved in research (from the technological, medical, agro-food and cultural areas), to the active participation of representatives of the law enforcement agencies, who told their "research needs" during the ERN.
Citizenship of all the locations involved showed a growing interest and stimulated, as a consequence, a more and more assiduous presence of the territorial media, which recognized in the ERN a central moment in the cultural and social life of the territory, deserving to be announced, presented and recounted.
In Siena (seat of the project leader in recent editions), as in Pisa, Florence, Lucca, the ERN has become over time one of the important events on the calendar of the entire city life. Even in Florence, which presents a more complex situation, in which the ERN has to be part of a programme full of other cultural events, BRIGHT has managed to gain considerable visibility and involve a growing number of citizens.
About public involvement, the two-year Citizen Science project that we wanted to integrate with ERN, Polly-Bright, on the pollinator census, involved several schools throughout the region of Tuscany and was a concrete opportunity for children and teachers to touch research directly in its formation.
Beyond the general objective, this edition of BRIGHT, in addition to being an event due to citizenship by universities and research institutions, had the objective of further extending the presence and active participation of citizens, also by increasing the venues for the presentation of BRIGHT events dedicated to social familiarisation with even complex aspects of research, discussions on its regional, national and European perspectives, the importance of the European research network and the problems of research funding.
It was therefore a question of going beyond the mere "spectacle of science", and the wonder of the meetings and exchanges between art and science, to involve citizens in debates that would help them become aware of the importance of research and the work of the researcher.
BRIGHT has also been successful in stimulating a dialogue with the productive realities of the territory, as potential partners for future collaborations and technology transfer.

Bright at UNISI city of Siena

Bright at UNISTRASI city of Siena

Bright at UNISI city of Siena

Bright at SNS city of Pisa

Bright at UNIPI city of Pisa

Bright at UNIPI city of Pisa

Bright at SSSA city of Pisa

Bright at UNIFI city of Florence

Bright at IMT city of Lucca

Bright at UNISI city of Siena

Bright at UNISI city of Siena