Written evidence submitted by BIG (COM0010)

BIG the UK STEM communicators skills sharing network http://www.big.uk.com/

 

1)      BIG is the skills sharing network for individuals involved in the communication of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

BIG (formerly known as the British Interactive Group) runs regular events and training courses on issues relevant to science communication and informal science and maths education. Our annual conference - The BIG Event - is regarded as one of the best science communication conferences in the UK as a source of best practice skills-sharing and networking.

The group is run by a voluntary committee and has a membership of over 300 drawn from all areas of the public engagement spectrum. Members work for Higher Education Institutions, science and discovery centres, museums, private companies and as sole traders.

2)      The public engagement sector in the U.K is vibrant BIG has members working with to enrich the formal education system and engaging with new audiences in informal settings. BIG is proud to support the annual Joshua Philips award for science communication and the recent winners give a good example of the wide range of groups and audiences which are regularly engaged with by members.

2012 Matt Parker-Stand-up Mathematician- Matt presents maths through comedy and works in venues not traditionally associated with STEM. As part of festival of the Spoken Nerd he has toured extensively bringing science and maths to new audiences. He is typical of the growth of STEM as part of popular culture.

2013 Dr Aravind Vijayaraghavan- University of Manchester. Dr Aravind was lead researcher in the discovery of Graphene but has also been active in public engagement bringing his work to public attention.

2014 Sarah Bearchall – Sarah’s adventures in science. Sarah works with groups with special educational needs, bringing the wonder of discovery to young people who struggle to make sense of their worlds. Sarah’s work is a good reflection of the range of audiences that are targeted by different professionals

2015 Professor Andy Miah- University of Salford. Andy is a professor of science communication and a researcher in bio-ethics and emerging technologies. His engagement activity is part of his academic roles rather than an addition which was the case with many in the past.

3)      BIG members work with both existing and new ‘hard to reach’ groups in formal and informal settings and BIG aims to allow them to share skills and promote best practice.

4)      Many BIG members are invited to work overseas. The U.K is a world leader in public engagement with our expertise in training and delivery being shared with groups around the world. The British Council is a strong supporter of this activity, promoting UK involvement in events and the Newton Fund supporting engagement training alongside scientific collaboration.

5)      The company I work for: science made simple Ltd, has worked in 26 countries since being established 15 years ago and I have worked alongside other U.K staff in UAE, New Zealand, Germany, France and Malta

6)      BIG members use a number of strategies aimed at targeting different audiences, interactive workshops, live presentations, writing and new media are all used to good effect in communicating with different groups in ways which are most accessible to them. The variety of approaches and understanding of the needs of different groups is the key to successful engagement and may be responsible to the increasing positive public attitude towards science as reflected in the Wellcome monitor and BSA/BIS public attitudes survey in 2015. Whilst there is still work to do to improve perceptions and understanding of science and engineering the overall view is encouraging.

6% think scientific research makes a direct contribution to economic growth in the UK

91% agree that young people’s interest in science is essential for our future prosperity

79% agree that, even if it brings no immediate benefits, scientific research which advances knowledge should be funded by the Government. 65% also disagree that this funding should be cut because the money can be better spent elsewhere

81% of people agree that “science will make people’s lives easier” and over half 55% think that the benefits of science outweigh any harmful effects

 

51% think the science they learnt at school has been useful in their everyday lives, while a very encouraging three-quarters 76% think this of the Maths they learnt at school.

(IPSOS MORI 2015)

7)      The U.K has a long history of active engagement with the public on science and technology, The Jenkins report (2000) was important in broadening communication to dialogue and encouraging collaboration and consultation as part of the research process. Whilst public surveys and project evaluation performed by members, give encouraging results it is very difficult to measure the direct or indirect impact of any individual activity. Work is being pursued in this area by the National Forum for Engagement in STEM which BIG is pleased to support. A consistent and targeted evaluation strategy across the sector could be a useful tool to measure the most successful approaches and make best use of resources.

8)      Research councils support engagement activity through public engagement funding schemes and many BIG members work with these organisations to develop new material to bring research process and findings to new audiences. These schemes could reach more people if resources were increased alongside clearer aims for impact and improved methods for measuring these. BIG members often work in schools to widen aspirations and highlight  career pathways in science and engineering. I would draw attention to the Tomorrow’s Engineers project http://www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk/ coordinated by Engineering UK which is bring a variety of activities delivered by professional communicators and supported by industry into schools across the country.

9)      The U.K has a well established network of professional STEM communicators I place to help deliver engagement activity with audiences. Government could support STEM career uptake and further impact public attitudes and perception of STEM by using this existing resource. BIG does not feel there is a need to create any new infrastructure but increased support of the industry could make even better use of our world leading expertise.

 

April 2016