Public engagement with research

There are many ways that people can be involved in the design, conduct and outcomes of research - and this benefits researchers and the public alike. Here you can find out how to engage people with your research, learn about some of the opportunities available and find inspiration, resources and information to help you design your own activities.

what is public engagement?

We engage with audiences in a variety of ways, using our research to change and transform society at the local, national and global levels. Engagement is a learning process for everyone involved and can include public events and festivals, innovative social media engagement, citizen science and crowd-sourcing, participatory action research, consultation, co-design and production, debate, dialogue and discussion.

A young visitor to the Berkshire Show 2019 talking to Food and Nutrition Science researchers about vegetables.

existing opportunities

Researchers from the University regularly contribute to national, regional and local events like these listed here. If you have an idea for an activity suitable for one of the following events, please contact the Research Communications team as soon as possible; planning and funding calls for such events can begin up to a year in advance.

Event	Planning starts	Event takes place
British Science Week	ongoing	March
Royal Society Summer Exhibition	May/June	July following year
Berkshire Show	April	September
British Science Festival	November	September following year
ESRC Festival of Social Sciences	May	November
New Scientist Live	January	October
Being Human Festival	February	November
University Public Lecture series	ongoing	ongoing
MERL lates	ongoing	ongoing
Art at Reading	ongoing	ongoing

See our annual calendar of public engagement opportunities

Something different?

If your engagement activity doesn’t fit with one of the existing opportunities, is online or takes a different form, or you want to reach other audiences, please use this flowchart to help you to find the team who are best placed to help.

We have a small working group of staff from across professional services who regularly meet and will share individual requests and provide as much support and sign-posting to other resources as possible.

Questions to ask yourself:

Who do I want to engage with? (spoiler: the 'general public’ doesn’t exist!)
Why do I want to engage with an audience beyond academia?
Do I have a budget to support my activity? If not, where can I find funding?
Do I need to organise an event?
Where should I deliver my activity to ensure my audience will be able to get involved?
Who do I need to speak to next to turn my idea into action?

Story books can help teach maths in effective new ways, Reading research has shown

public engagement network

We coordinate a network of researchers and professionals across the University. We meet regularly to encourage peer learning to build and sustain institutional capacity for public engagement with research.

Join the network and get a regular newsletter detailing upcoming events, networking opportunities and funding calls.

find out more

Join our PER network

Ask us for help with public engagement

See more case studies on our Get Involved page

The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement - provides advice and training resources

NERC Engaging Environments lessons learned booklet

Research Engagement and Impact Awards 2019

More about our research impact

As a University we know we can achieve extraordinary things by interacting and collaborating with people outside of academia. Effective engagement works for everyone. We want to stimulate ongoing public interest in, and understanding of, our research and bring about positive change through this engagement.

Some examples of engaging research from the University of Reading:

show your stripes

A campaign based around an infographic showing average temperature rises since the pre-industrial era devised by Reading meteorologist Professor Ed Hawkins has been used across the world from the front cover of the Economist to the ties of TV weather reporters in the USA ,

open up science

The OPENER project aims to open up environmental research beyond the scientific community. It’s recruiting ‘citizen scientists’ to participate in experiments, training researchers how to involve the public in work, and creating a group of people across the UK to continue this important work in the future.

astor 100

The election of Nancy Astor, the first female MP to take her seat, changed British democracy for ever. #Astor100 is a major series of academic and public engagements taking place across 2019-2020 celebrating 100 years of women in parliament, curated by Dr Jacqui Turner, lecturer in Modern History at the University of Reading.

Drawing of microscopic organisms in a children's book

picturing Science fror children

Designer Marie Neurath’s appealing and accessible graphic style helped explain complex science subjects to children in the mid-twentieth century. Through an exhibition and teaching resources, Sue Walker has given Neurath’s work the showcase it deserves and encouraged educators to recognise its continued relevance for primary teaching.

A group of children look at outside art exhibits

Art that activates

Reading International has forged links between artists, communities and venues to create contemporary artworks that spark debate on local and global issues. Reaching over 45,000 people in three years, it is helping to raise the quality of cultural organisation in Reading by applying new curatorial methods that inspire.

A group of women gathered for a group shot outside a building

Marvellous mums

Researchers and community partners have come together to support disadvantaged women from local communities to recognise their own skills and strengths. Armed with new confidence and aspirations, many have been able to improve their lives and those of their families.

Montage of scenes from the history of Oxford Road

Oxford Road stories

Re-imagining the high street through your stories’ explores people’s stories of life on Oxford Road in Reading. Through community engagement, local residents and businesses can decide what they want to see happening on their high street, celebrating local heritage and the rich multicultural history of the area.

Woman sits on a wall looking out over a distant cityscape

INVOLVING CITIZENS IN URBAN PLANNING

By influencing national neighbourhood planning policy and informing best practice, research from the University of Reading is facilitating the involvement of citizens in the development of their own communities.

Teachers and students sit at a table with textbooks and laptops

Maths through storytelling

Dr Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai’s ‘Maths Through Stories’ initiative has made it easier for teachers and parents worldwide to harness the power of storytelling to make maths learning more accessible and enjoyable to learners everywhere.

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public engagement with research