THIS PRESENTATION CONTAINS DATA AND KEY COMMENTS FROM A SURVEY OF THE FACULTY OF LIFE AND HEALTH SCIENCES ON THE TOPIC OF

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

A.O’Hara, P.Mitchell, K.McCann &VJ.McKelvey-Martin

Public Engagement Survey 2010

Discussion Points - How would you describe the impact of your public engagement

activities?

•Extremely powerful in teaching for the student learning experience. Very informative in research

•UNKNOWN

•limited - but sometimes small steps lead to major changes especially if you manage to meet and talk wiht the right people.

•The public engagement with charities and support groups has driven change in eye care protocols in the nhs in NI. Parents have demanded change from professionals as a result of what they learn through our public engagement lectures.

•I believe they raise awareness and provide opportunities

•Limited except within the research community

•Shape research policy and fine-tune science/industry partnering to identify and develop opportunities

Discussion Points - Please list what you consider to be the main benefits of public

engagement.

Raises profile of university, enhances recruitment, informs and enriches research and teaching, impact via knowledge transfer and policy recommendations ,to influence improve practice.Contributes to economic regeneration.

It shows the university to have a role other than education and it promotes the idea that the university engages in useful research that can and does benefit the average person in the street.

For me personally - access to undertaking research and development work that would be hard to do in any other way. For the University it increases the profile and relevance of its work. For the community partners - it adds to their credability as a professional organisation.

Glory I think public engagement is a vital part of bringing science to

society, and making research relevant to the people it is designed to help. In health psychology it is vital the public are engaged with what we do.

Dissemination of current and high quality research which can inform decision-making processes