JANUARY 2007
Contents
New title for genome exhibition
DIARY DATES: Sciencehorizons; Science and Society: Closing the Gap; Ecsite Annual Conference
NEWS FROM ECSITE-UK 1
Project funding available
OSI (DTI) and DfES, jointly, are making a limited amount of funding available over two financial years 2006-08. Bids are now invited from small consortia of science centres to pilot enrichment activities (on site, or through outreach) that will promote effective collaborative working, complement – without duplicating – existing Government initiatives, and actively drive best practice in our sector.
Closing date for bids is 5pm, Monday 15 January.
To support the bidding process, you are invited to attend an applicants' workshop on 9 January, 2-6m at the Dana Centre, 165 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5HD.
NEWS FROM ECSITE IN BRUSSELS
Newsletter editor
After 69 issues, 69 editorial columns, and 5 design make-overs (does anyone remember the upper-case italic Palatino masthead?), the newsletter will have a new editor.
Issue no.70, spring 2007 will be Michael Creek’s first.
The theme will be Energy Futures, and contributions will be invited in February.
Michael’s email address is mcreek@ecsite.net
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR 1
RSC Chemistry Week 2007
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) will be running its next national Chemistry Week from Saturday, 3 November to Sunday, 11 November 2007. The theme will be Travel with a particular emphasis on how chemistry offers positive solutions to the energy challenges that travel (and transport) are facing today.
Events will be organised round the UK and Ireland via the RSC’s network of 35 Local Sections and a Travel Roadshow will be visiting various locations round the UK during Chemistry Week.
If you, or your organisation, would like to take part in Chemistry Week or would like more details whom to contact in your local area, please contact Pauline Meakins, RSC External Promotion, email meakinsp@rsc.org or tel 01223 432266.
More details will be available on the website at www.rsc.org/chemistryweek over the coming weeks.
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SECTOR 2
Beacons for Public Engagement
A new £8million initiative has been launched which aims to promote excellence in public engagement and effect a culture change in UK universities towards engaging with the public.
The UK higher education funding councils and Research Councils UK, in association with the Wellcome Trust, invite higher education institutions (HEIs) to bid to become Beacons for Public Engagement. The funders have launched the initiative in order to co-ordinate efforts to recognise, reward and build capacity in public engagement across all subject areas.
The Scottish Funding Council and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales will support the scheme provided that Scottish and Welsh institutions are involved either as leads or partners in successful bids.
Science centres and museums should consider approaching their local universities to seek to support and work with them. Initial applications are due by 14 February.
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NEWS FROM THE REGIONS
New title for genome exhibition
At-Bristol is leading exhibition development and marketing – with Ecsite-uk leading on development of the complementary learning programmes - for a major touring show funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Further to audience testing, and team navel gazing, a real (as opposed to working) title has been arrived at. Inside DNA: a Genomic Revolution will launch at At-Bristol and 2007, and be available to tour from spring 2008.
www.sciencecentres.org.uk/travelling/inside-dna
RESOURCE
To find an elusive reference…
Psci-comLit is a bibliographic database covering science communication, public engagement with science and the broader issues of science and society.
The database is being continually expanded and contains books, reports, journal and newspaper articles, most of which are available for reference in the Wellcome Library.
For your very own gateway to public engagement – the art and study as distinct from the daily hard graft – visit
psci-com.ac.uk
DIARY DATES
sciencehorizons Working Lunches
January 2007
If you attended the Scottish Science Communication Conference, you may be interested to know that the BA is running a series of Working Lunches throughout the UK in collaboration with the sciencehorizons project. sciencehorizons is a new programme of public dialogues exploring people's aspirations, values and concerns for the science and technology of the future.
The Working Lunches will be delivered by Ben Johnson, and are for anyone interested in running events that will feed into sciencehorizons, especially those working in science centres, museums, learned societies, science festivals and community-based organisations.
At the Working Lunches, participants will learn about the sciencehorizons project, find out all they need to know to facilitate an event of their own and get practical guidance and support along with wide-ranging resource packs. The lunches will include discussions about skills enhancement, marketing and fundraising where appropriate.
The working lunches will take place from 12:30 until 2pm:
- 8 January 2007 - Manchester, The Manchester Museum
- 12 January 2007 - Edinburgh, The National Museum of Scotland
- 25 January 2007 - Oxford, Science Oxford
Tickets are available from the BA website at britishscienceassociation.org
at a cost of £12, including lunch.
sciencehorizons is funded by the DTI's Sciencewise programme.
Science and Society: Closing the Gap
19-21 January 2007, Boston MA
A conference to explore the critical role of science and technology in today’s world and develop strategies for better informing and involving the general public.
Science + Society: Closing the Gap is an important addition to the international calendar of science-related conferences. It's one of the first to involve the public in a high-level conversation—with scientists, educators, media professionals, policymakers and others—about effective and practical ways to improve science communication and enhance science literacy. Rather than target a specific group or membership, Science + Society invites the widest range of stakeholders to the table, recognizing that success depends on cooperation and conversation not only across disciplines but also between the scientific community and the public it serves.
The conference is free, but space is limited.
Details and registration at:
www.scienceandsocietyconference.com
Ecsite Annual Conference 2007
Lisbon: 31 May to June
Now firmly installed in its early summer slot, the Ecsite Annual Conference 2007 will – as in 2005 and ’06 – use new formats for sessions, more interactivity, more debates, more controversies, more networking opportunities…
AC2007 is hosted by the Pavilion of Knowledge.
For details contact Aliki Giannakopoulou:
agiannakopoulou@ecsite.net
www.ecsite.net
Ecsite-uk
Dr Melanie Quin, Executive Director
Ecsite-uk: the Network of Science Centres and Museums
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