SEARCH Home Page

What is SEARCH?

SEARCH (Science Engagement and Researching Change) is a two part project focussing on science and engineering engagement activities undertaken by university staff and the impacts of these activities within universities, on their culture and perceptions of engagement work.

The project is in two parts. The first has set the scene. Collecting data about current practices in science and engineering engagement, their impacts on individuals, departments and universities.

The second acts as a crucible to support a small number of science and engineering departments in developing, and then realising, action projects which address individual department’s development needs in relation to science engagement. It is intended that these action projects will be both inward and outward facing.

In setting goals for inward looking change, projects might, for example, focus on developing reward and recognition for science engagement work, assessing the impact of those involved in science engagement work, fostering interdisciplinary working, developing research and dissemination projects between science and arts subjects, or marketing and promoting science engagement within the university.

The outward facing action projects might explore current engagement work with a view to extending it to make it more ambitious in scope,or engage with different or non-traditional groups. Outward engagement projects might seek to develop more two-way engagement, increasing the dialogue between public groups and scientists, co-developing research ideas, thinking in advance about applications of science to real life problems or the co-generation of knowledge.

This is the longer part of the project and runs from November 2007 through to February 2009.

There are four themes being explored in phase two these are:

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