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A Reflection on Shared Experiences and Challenges.

We hope everyone who celebrated European Researchers’ Night on September 27th had a fantastic time! Whether you were dazzling your local community with the wonders of science or soaking in the excitement, we hope you’ve had a chance to rest up. A huge thank you to all of you who shared your events with us—seeing the creativity and enthusiasm you brought to the table was inspiring!

In the spirit of reflection and collaboration, we thought this would be a great opportunity to hear from the EUSEA community to share their thoughts and experiences at our latest EUSEA Hotpot: Open Exchange on European Researchers’ Night – A Reflection on Shared Experiences and Challenges.

We were joined by seasoned organisers of European Research Night Events, those who contributed and some who just wanted to learn more about how to be involved in the future, sharing activities that went well and lend themselves well to the ERN format, how to get contributors and audiences involved from all walks of life, but also some of the issues and limitations they have faced.

We at EUSEA also used this as an opportunity to learn how we can better support our members and the community in facilitating collaborations and help support you in the future.

With so much to talk about in a limited amount of time, we condensed much of what was discussed onto a MURAL board, which you can find below, but we have also created an executive summary of just some of what was discussed.

Executive Summary: EUSEA Hotpot: Open Exchange on European Researchers’ Night

The European Researchers’ Night (ERN) is an annual initiative supported by the European Commission to bring science closer to the public. While individual organisations across Europe manage and organise ERN events, EUSEA (European Science Engagement Association) facilitates a network of organisations and institutions involved. This summary captures the key insights and reflections shared during the EUSEA Hotpot: Open Exchange on European Researchers’ Night, highlighting successes, challenges, and recommendations for future ERN events.

Key Achievements:

  1. Integration of Art and Science: A notable success has been the creative use of artistic collaborations to communicate science engagingly. Formats such as musical performances, storytelling, and visual arts engaged a broad audience range.
  2. Interactive and Hands-on Activities: Public engagement thrived through hands-on experiments, street festivals, and live performances, particularly engaging young audiences. These activities helped make science more relatable and memorable.
  3. Strong Community Involvement: Collaboration with schools, researchers, and volunteers was crucial to the success of these events. Strong partnerships with educational institutions ensured high levels of participation and the delivery of impactful activities.

Challenges Identified:

  1. Event Timing and Coordination: In some regions, such as Malta, ERN events conflicted with local school schedules and summer holidays, impacting potential collaborations. 
  2. Tight Funding Deadlines: A significant concern raised was the short turnaround time for post-event funding applications, which must be submitted within three weeks after ERN concludes. Participants felt this deadline needed to be tighter, impacting their ability to plan future events effectively.
  3. Communication Issues: Some events needed to be communicated better regarding schedules, such as confusion between daytime and nighttime activities. This highlighted the need for more precise, consistent marketing across all platforms.

Recommendations for Improvement:

  1. Flexible Funding and Application Deadlines: Attendees recommended that EUSEA advocate with the European Commission for longer application windows, suggesting that deadlines for ERN funding applications be pushed to Nov – Jan to allow for better preparation.
  2. Year-Round Engagement Formats: Expanding ERN activities beyond the single-night format was proposed as a way to increase public reach and engagement. Continuous activities before and after the main event could help maintain momentum and interest.
  3. Training for Researchers: More training opportunities for researchers in areas like public engagement and science communication were identified as key to improving their involvement and the overall quality of ERN activities.
  4. Standardised Impact Assessment Tools: Developing standardised tools for evaluating the impact of ERN events was suggested to allow for comparative studies and benchmarking across different regions, fostering continuous improvement.
  5. Prioritising Inclusion of Underrepresented Groups: Greater efforts to engage underrepresented communities were highlighted as an ongoing priority, with initiatives like Science Suitcase noted for their success in reaching diverse audiences.
  6. Strengthening Networks: Participants suggested that EUSEA continue to focus on facilitating connections between national and European networks, helping partners collaborate more effectively across borders through exchanges and shared evaluations.

Community Expectations from EUSEA:

While EUSEA is not involved with ERN, it facilitates connections between event organisers, researchers, and stakeholders. The community looks to EUSEA for:

  • Standardised Evaluation Tools: Support the creation of unified methods to assess the impact of ERN events.
  • Advocacy for Funding Flexibility: Acting as a voice for the ERN network, advocating for more flexible deadlines and improved funding structures.
  • Collaboration and Training: Offering training opportunities and promoting cooperation through special interest groups to enhance the quality of ERN activities and foster focused networking on shared topics.
  • Promoting Continuous Engagement: Supporting the expansion of ERN events to encompass year-round engagement and improve outreach to underrepresented groups.

In conclusion, the EUSEA Hotpot: Open Exchange on European Researchers’ Night offered valuable reflections on the success and challenges of ERN events. With EUSEA’s continued role as a facilitator, the network can further enhance public engagement with science, improve logistical planning, and ensure sustainable support through advocacy and collaboration.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and shared their thoughts and experiences on the future or ERN, and how EUSEA can better support the community in the future. These included:

Science in the City, Malta

Vísindavaka, Iceland

Das war Life is Science in a World turned Upside Down, Austria

Lower Silesian Science Festival, Poland

Macaronight 2024, Gran Canaria