The (almost) Annual Public Engagement with Research Day (PER Day) will be held on 17th April 2018 and we’d like to invite you along. Sign up to find out about public engagement at the University; what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, how you can get involved and how the PER team can help.

This is for you if you:

• Are a researcher who wants to engage the public with your work

• Want practical help and advice on doing PER

• Want the bigger picture on the what, how and why of PER at UoB

• Want to meet and hear from PER experts

The day will include:

• An update on PER at Birmingham from Prof Alice Roberts

• Showcasing of great PER projects

• Practical skills workshops with engagement experts

• Lots of other opportunities to find out more and get involved

Please find a draft timetable with more details below. Lunch is included so please let us know about special dietary requirements.

Unfortunately places are limited so priority will be given to researchers, but we will accommodate others wherever possible. Please direct any questions to the Public Engagement team at engage@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Draft Programme

09:30 – Registration

10:00 – Welcome to PER at UoB with Professor Tim Softley, PVC Research and Knowledge Transfer

10:15 – Reflections of PER at UoB: what are we doing and why? with Professor Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement with Science

Find out about and be inspired by what’s been happening in the world of PER at UoB

11:00 – Break time

11:30 – Going forward with PER at UoB: where are we going and why?

With Dr Lesley Paterson, Head of Public Engagement with Research, University of Oxford

Followed by a discussion session

12:30 – Lunch

13:30 – PER Skills 1 – choice of 3 workshops to learn and practice your PER techniques

1. Starting out: how did others get started in PER and how can I? With exPERienced PGRs, Coralie Acheson, James Walker and Aimee Jackson

2. Finding your audience: how to do different PER for different people With science festival programmer and artist, Hana Ayoob

3. Meaningful interactions: how can researchers and publics get the most from PER? With community PER experts, Dr Carl Stevenson, Derren Cresswell and Citizens UK, Birmingham

14:30 – Break time

15:00 – PER Skills 2 – choice of 3 workshops:

1. Demonstrating research: how simple props bring engagement to life With Debbie Ringham, Cancer Research UK Research Engagement Manager and Tracey Perry, Research Associate

2. How to make impact: making engaged research matter for REF (and beyond!) With REF impact expert(s), TBC

3. Measuring change: how to measure, evaluate and learn from PER activity With evaluation expert, Rhiannon Davies, The Audience Agency

16:00 – Summing up and PER horizons

Find out about exciting future opportunities and projects to do PER

16:30 – Networking and discussion time Make new PER friends and chat to speakers and guests

17:30 – Event ends / adjourn to Staff House!