University of St. Andrews

Our approach to Public Engagement

Public engagement with research is a key activity for the University of St Andrews and is central to our commitment to research and teaching excellence.

The University has a range of outstanding research engagement initiatives delivered by a core public engagement with research team, including Cell Block Science, Explorathon for European Researcher’s Night and Science Discovery Day. The team also supports many researcher-led short programme or single-delivery engagement activities designed by individuals or groups of academics with significant reach and demonstrable impact.

• Opportunity – We provide opportunities for staff and students to participate in high quality PER events and initiatives, complementing our training with easily accessible access to hands-on experience.
• Training - We offer staff and students a suite of activities bringing together all training relevant to PER under one banner (the Public Engagement Portfolio) administered and offered through our Centre for Academic, Organisational, and Professional Development (CAPOD).
• Recognition – We recognise excellence in PER through our institutional public engagement awards.
• Informing – Led by our PER team we employ the best channels to disseminate information regarding PER to our staff and students. From funding opportunities to development, delivery, and evaluation, we make information readily available through newsletters, web sites and through monthly on-site surgeries in academic schools in collaboration with the research impact and press office teams.
• Evaluation – With the awareness that excellence in PER requires self-reflection, we reflect on our ability to facilitate, deliver and recognise PER on an institutional level and encourage our researchers to do the same for their activities through training and advice.

Contact

Website: https://impact.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/doing-impact/public-engagement/