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Public Engagement in your PhD: See Science Festival

By ucwetca, on 26 March 2018

The Train and Engage fund is now open for applications from anyone who has completed our PhD training programmes. The fund gives applicants a chance to try out engagement and put their learning to good use with public, patient and community groups. This week we spoke to Erika Aquino, PhD student at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology about her project ‘See Science Festival’, connecting the work of the Institute and BRC Moorfields to the local community.


Why did you apply for Train and Engage and how did you find the process of submitting the application?

After attending the Train and Engage workshops, I discovered a true passion for public engagement. The Institute of Ophthalmology felt very detached and unengaged from the local community within which it sits and I proposed to change that! I wanted to involve the local community who may not normally participate in academic activities with the Institute’s world-renowned research and cutting edge science. But in a fun, interactive, exciting way!

The application was straight forward and I was able to ask for help and advice from the Public Engagement team, which was very useful. I also sought help from senior, more experienced colleagues, which improved the application and helped me further establish my ideas.  

How was your experience of working with the public and patient groups who attended the event?

It was great fun! The public was a very diverse audience; lots of families with local school children, teenagers of both genders genuinely interested in science, doctors and nurses from Moorfields Eye Hospital wanting to find out more about our research, other staff and students from the Institute wanting to support and interact with their colleagues, retirees wanting to engage with science. It was amazing working with these groups, having to adapt my communication style to suit the audience, actively discussing my research, both explaining and listening to the opinions of the public and thinking about the bigger picture and implications of research. Working with the public was motivating and gave my research value and significance in society.

What was the most surprising thing that happened?

Having research groups from the Institute approach me to ask to be involved in the event after they had heard about it. It was exciting that word was spreading but I had to deal with this unexpectedly as the venue size was the limiting factor on how many groups I could have at the event. I had to reassess logistics but managed to fit in another two stalls which really added to the event’s success. It was surprising how many people at the Institute wanted to participate, when normally there is lack of engagement with “extracurricular activities” from academics, which was great!

What advice would you give for someone starting a project like this?

  • Be organised! Be prepared to have to multitask and prioritise tasks to in order to get important things done in time.
  • Give yourself plenty of time! Set yourself deadlines ahead of external deadlines so you’re ready to go.
  • Keep track of your budget, know how much things costs in advance so you can plan how far your money can go.
  • Ask for help! There are always people willing to lend a hand and it was vital for the smooth running of the event that I had lots of help. It was great when everyone came together and worked as a team.

What do you think is the most useful thing you learned on the Train and Engage program?

I learnt really valuable leadership and communication skills whilst working with a large group of people. I closely monitored their progress by arranging regular meetings to set expectations and ensure everyone was meeting deadlines. Initially, I had to convince senior colleagues that I was capable of organising the event in a short time-frame by demonstrating that I had considered and managed all needs or concerns. My enthusiasm and resilience proved that I was efficient at achieving goals and delivering success during a fast-moving project.

Explore our other case studies, and apply for funding to make your work with community, public and patient groups a reality.

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