Public Engagement with Research Fund - Guidance Notes

Why has this form changed?

This form has been re-designed as a result of feedback received by previous applicants and the review panel with the following aims:

To make the application process fairer and more transparent with an indication of what Kent is looking for in good public engagement with research
To make the review process fair and objective in order to provide useful feedback to unsuccessful applicants
To help applicants plan effective engagement
To use specific questions to help applicants describe their plans and how they address what the panel is looking for

Please contact Jill Hurst at with any comments that you have on the form or the process so that it can be improved over time.

The Fund

The University supports public engagement with research activities via the Public Engagement with Research Fund. This fund of £40,000 builds on the University’s commitment to embed public engagement with research across the institution, to encourage the development of high quality, innovative and effective activities with high impact. The Public Engagement with Research Advisory Group recognises that awards from the fund may not always cover the full costs of a project. At this stage, awards should be regarded as a University contribution to funding from other sources. Requests of up to £2,000 will be considered. The fund can only be used to support the direct costs of an activity. The application process for this round will close on Friday, 13thOctober, 2017. Awards will be announced on Friday, 27thOctober, 2017.

What is public engagement with research?

The University of Kent adopts the definition put forward by the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE):

‘Public engagement describes the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit.’

Who are the public?

The public can be anyone, from the general public on a high street, to a group of professionals within a multi-national organisation. The most important element of ‘public engagement’ is the engagement itself; the quality or meaningfulness of the interaction between the public (or publics) and the research. Having a specific public group in mind for an activity might generate better engagement; worthwhile activities are tailored with their audience in mind.

What activities count?

The NCCPE has defined four common ways that researchers can engage with public with their research. The Fund can be used for each of these:

Communicating research activity and outcomes

(Goal: to find effective ways of informing the public about research, and to increase its accessibility. This can involve a range of methods to inspire and involve different audiences)

Listening to public views and concerns

(Goal: to make sure that you get better informed about the public’s views and concerns about your research, and more sensitive to the social and ethical issues that relate to it. It’s also an opportunity to hear fresh perspectives and insights which can fundamentally challenge and help to develop your own thinking and lines of enquiry)

Involving the public as researchers

(Goal: To encourage public participation in your research by involving people as researchers for your project)

Developing collaborative research and co-inquiry projects

(Goal: to develop genuine collaboration, where the research questions are developed and explored in partnership with the public)

What is the panel looking for in a high quality application?

Strong applications will have a clearly articulated link between the research and the activity
Proposals should be based on research carried out or to be carried out at the University of Kent
Applications from all disciplines at the University of Kent are welcomed
Strong applications will have specific aims with relevant and realistic evaluation plans
The panel will be looking for high quality meaningful two-way interactions and evidence that applicants have carefully considered who their target audience is and how they will reach them
Activities which contribute to a longer-term strategy in a research area (including the fostering of partnerships within and outside of the institution) will be prioritised
Local, national and international projects are all valued. Projects which can raise the profile of the University of Kent’s research are welcome
Applications from Early Career Researchers will be particularly welcomed (within 5 years post PhD)
Budgets and requests must be appropriate and realistic
The value of an activity will be judged on its reach and significance

Please note

Attendance at conferences will not be funded
Applications from research students must be supported with co-application by their supervisor or a nominated substantive post holder

Terms and Conditions

All funds must be spent within the financial year as stated when the award is made
Awardees are expected to liaise with Corporate Communications at their earliest opportunity, to discuss potential support and communications plans
Following completion of funded activities, a report must be submitted to Jill Hurst including a financial report, and an evaluation report. This will help us to share lessons learned across Kent
Awardees may be approached in future to assist those with less experience in public engagement with research, on an informal mentoring basis. This will help us develop knowledge and skills across Kent

Further information & support

Application and planning support

Support is available for the planning of public engagement with research from Research Services. Please .

Research Ethics & Governance

Please ensure that you adhere to ethics and governance requirements. Guidance can be found at

If you intend to collect and retain information about participants as part of your research or your evaluation method, it is important to ensure that you comply with current legislation. For more information, please see the relevant pages on the Kent website:

Publicity support

Our colleagues in Corporate Communications can help you explore the potential for press and media coverage and relations, internal communications via Kent Life features and Campus Online, student communications and social media via Kent. For more information, see the website:

If you require marketing support please contact your school.

If you require support with design and print, you will need to allow for this in your budgeting. For help, contact the Design and Print team via

Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity

The University of Kent is committed to the creation and support of a balanced, inclusive and diverse community. These principles should be applied in everything we do. For more information, see

Start early: Start conversations early to avoid delays and maximise the support available to you.

Submission:

Please return an electronic copy of your form to Jill Hurst via

Decision

Applications will be considered by members of the PER Advisory Group.

Public Engagement with Research Fund Application Form

1 / Applicant
a) / Name
b) / Early Career Researcher (Y/N)
c) / School/Centre
d) / Co-Applicants
e) / School/Centre
2 / Project
a) / Title
b) / Start date / Duration
c) / Brief description of activity
Please explain what will happen during the activity/iesin no more than 300 words
d) / Evaluation
Describe up to 4 primary aims of your activity and explain how you will evaluate each of them. Your aims should encompass the potential benefits (impacts) of the activity/ies to your intended audience/s and benefits your research, and how you intend to measure them
e)
i) / Context
Do your activity/ies form part of a larger existing or future area/programme of work? If so, please explain in no more than 150 words and include a website link if available
ii) / Have you received an award from this Public Engagement with Research fund previously? If so, please confirm the month and year that the award was made
3 / Publicity
Please outline your plans for publicity. Consider:

Who is/are your target public/s and what steps will you take to reach your intended audience/s?
Do you need to work with members of Corporate Communications or other teams and if so, what plans are in place?

4 / Budget (please provide as much detail as possible)
a) / Budget requested
The fund can be used to cover direct costs only – academic staff time cannot be included.
Costs should be based on University guidelines
b) / Contributions from other sources
Please give full details
c) / Total request from PER Fund (must not exceed £2000)

Completed forms should be emailed toJill Hurst at in Research Services