Catalan European Researchers' Night

Project Information

EuNightCat20

Grant agreement ID: 954506

DOI

10.3030/954506

Project closed

EC signature date 17 June 2020

Start date 1 June 2020

End date 31 May 2021

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 141 137,50

EU contribution

€ 85 000,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAT DE GIRONA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EuNightCat20 (Catalan European Researchers' Night)

Reporting period: 2020-06-01 to 2021-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Catalan European Researchers’ Night 2020 is a ERN with many activities hold all around Catalonia. Due to the COVid19 pandemic, instead of September 25th, the November 27th, where seven different partners were coordinating more than 200 activities which were performed from north-east (Girona), to the north-west (Lleida), going through the center of Catalonia (Osona), Barcelona and arriving at the south (Tarragona and Terres de l’Ebre). This is a way to talk, as they were performed from different parts of Catalonia, but they could be follow from all over Catalonia (and the World), as mainly they were on-line activities. Although the activities were covering many topics a special emphasis were done in the first mission, being the main slogan “Research for Change”, adding COVID19 as a main subject. Almost all the activities were organized on-line because of pandemic situation, and only some of them were face-to-face, following all the health rules for the moment and the location.

EuNightCat20 was divided in three common activities:
o Research meets Schools (La Recerca va a l’escola) – During Friday morning, and the two weeks before, researchers were going to schools to show their research. Although the idea was to visit also research labs, it was impossible to move the people. On the other side, the fact thant almost all of them were on-line it allowed to assist a larger amount of students.
o Catalan European Researchers’ Night (Nit Europea de la Recerca) – More than 200 activities are programmed all around Catalonia during Friday evening/night. A common European Corner were allocated in each location (that is, on-line) for people to proposed project/solutions/ideas within each mission special attention will be paid to Horizon Europe Missions
o Women in Science – Exhibition of 30 Catalan researcher women were shown in each “location” in on-line mode.

EuNightCat20 was focused on enhancing public recognition of researchers and their work, showing that “Research for Change” and how research touch their lives, seeing clearly the benefits that mission-oriented EU research and Innovation brings to their daily lives. The specific objectives of the current proposal were:
o Tackling the existing stereotypes about researchers and the profession
o Enhancing researchers' public recognition
o Pointing out the societal importance of the researchers' work
o Stimulate young people to embark on research careers with mobility.
o Explaining and showing that research and researchers are found all over Catalonia being one of the top in Europe.
o And last but not least, showing that Europe cares for its researchers, especially in Catalonia

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

Due to COVID crisis, we might be reluctant to organise mass events this year, as it was proposed in the first proposal. So, as a first step we are adapting the Night to increase the number of venues but with less public. But, at the end, it was no possible to celebrate almost any presential activity, so it was reduced everything to a on-line #NitRecerCat. In order to get the maximum number of people attending the activities, the Catalan Foundation of Research (FCRi), together with the coordinator of the project, readapted the calendar to have a unique schedule for both science festivities (as both of them were fixed on November). It was approved that the Science Week in Catalonia (which celebrates 25 years old) were taking place during the two weeks before, so merging both large Science Festivities in order to arrive a larger amount of people.

All the activities were found in www.lanitdelarecerca.cat. There were divided in recorded talsk, streaming talks, videos for different workshops, virtual plaça with more that 28 experiments (recorded by video), special programmes like “NitRecerCat: The magazine”, interviews to researchers, experiments from home, round tables, and some workshops were people could attend following all the health restriction, etc. More than 250 activities were designed in order arrive to maximum number of people, with the participation of almost 500 researchers (at all lebels).

All the partners organized a “Research Meet Schools”, with more than 4000 student attending the explanation of different researchers from all areas of research. Many of them were on-line talks, giving the opportunity of having hundred of participants per talk. On the other hand, some research could got he the school, with the idea of showing in a closer manner their research.

One of the main differences respect to other editions were that the Night was not only one Night. There were many streaming talks performed during 27th November, but what was important, is that many of the activities stay there, no only for that days, but to spread the Night to the rest of the year.

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 activities arrived to almost 20.000 people all around Catalonia (and even more, as all the activities were on-line). At the same time, almost 500 researcher form different research institutions in Catalonia were able to explain their work, so having the possibility of bridging their day-to-day research to society. Expected results and potential impact.

o Increased awareness among the general public of the importance of research and innovation so general society will have a more favorable general attitude towards its funding. Different activities were holding to discover the importance of Research. During the European Researchers’ Night activities on November 27th the researchers were the main actors and the public at large were able to know what were their main tasks, and more important, how important is their work for many daily life things. It was important to reach all aged public, so different activities were prepared for very young, young and adults regardless of their scientific background.
o Reduce the stereotypes about researchers and their profession. General public need to understand that researchers are “normal people”. This output should be achieved by showing relaxed researchers presenting and participating in workshops and divulgative talks being able to communicate with non-scientific people in an accessible language. Previous training of researchers in communicating skills were very important to bring them closer to society. Special attention were paid to Women and STEAM.
o One of the main points is to increase, in the long term, of people taking up research careers. It was focused on the illustration of how fascinating science is, and how useful it will be for a better future. Science is everywhere, so scientists are needed to improve the daily lives for everybody in many senses (medicine, chemistry, mathematics, physics, etc.). Friday morning activity, “Research meets school”, were “bringing” (mainly on-line) researchers to many schools over all Catalonia, with the aim of showing how important research is, and how their everyday life is improving thanks to researchers. Researchers visiting schools were asked to explain the benefits of their research, in a very plain way, with the aim of stimulating young people to follow research careers.
o Better understanding of the European Union among the general public, showing how Europe cares about their researchers. European corners was in charge of this output. An on-line EU Corner was designed, with many projects showing the importance of CE budget, but also adding informatiotion and games related to Europe understanding.

Team_UVic

DrawingScienceWinner_Lleida

Video Recording in Reus

Banner for the Night

Virtual Plaça in Tarragona

NitRecerCat_TheMagazine_UdG

UVIC_SchoolVisit

UVic-UCCActivity

Marti Franquès walk