PRR Project

Summary

Besides furthering the most productive disciplinary scientific fields at the University of Coimbra, one of the key strategic research areas the University of Coimbra would like to address on a permanent basis with the FCT Tenure Call is that of Science Communication, Societal Engagement and Community Outreach.  These are transversal areas that are coming into their own in terms of Research, and represent, in our opinion, an out-of-the-box potential for future high level and impactful research activities other than the typical disciplinary audiences, with clear societal implications and the ability to engage communities outside of academia. In order to do this robust research programs linked to permanent positions are needed, not ad-hoc part time efforts linked to short-term objectives. We have included six such positions, which intersect and interconnect (but do not overlap), including Science Communication, Science Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Research-based organization of outreach structures (Museum, Botanical Garden and Exploratório-UC). This policy is in line with the social responsibility of research institutions, not only in providing added curated information, but in performing meaningful research into the impact of these activities, and basing future developments on the results.For the Science Outreach Structures there are four Researcher positions. This specific position is to carry out research on science outreach and popularization activities at the Botanical Garden. This Rectory-dependent structure performs a key service in terms, not only of providing a space for public enjoyment, but also in organizing activities on science-based education on different types of plants (medicinal, ornamental, foodstuff, local and exotic plants from the Portuguese colonial times), as well as historical collections of different origins, both of living plants, seeds and dry samples. Paradoxically little research has been carried out to ensure the true impact of these activities, locally or nationally (or in connection with other Botanical gardens), or in order to adapt them to current times and narratives (such as biological heritage, biodiversity loss, fighting hunger, GMOs or climate change). Unlike the Exploratório-UC, which caters to families (very young children and their parents), both the Botanical Garden and Science Museum host adolescents (at a crucial time of education decision-making), and adults of different ages (including senior citizens), a totally different audience, which also includes a large volume of foreign tourists, a growing dynamic and research-prone population not yet addressed. This can be exploited in terms of research-based approaches to understand the dynamics at play, and how they can be tapped into for maximal effect and societal engagement, a key goal of Research-Based institutions.Thus, there are several key questions (and hypotheses stemming from them) that the Researcher could address in their research program, using tools such as comprehensive surveys, focus groups or diversely structured interviews with the Botanical Garden audience. Are the activities and exhibits carried out at the Botanical Garden effective in terms of outreach? Are the experiences inclusive, or is there a stratification in terms of different populations (age, education, gender, background)? Are visitors from different countries similar or dissimilar in terms of their experiences? What type of activities are more effective, and why? What types of topics seem more impactful, and why? Do visitors actually learn what was expected from exhibit organizers, or is this a futile effort in some cases? If the latter is true, in which ones, and what exactly can be proposed in terms of innovative approaches to maximize productive engagement with science in this sort of infrastructure, and towards the different types of audiences that visit? Could innovative strategies such as cocreation and other forms of citizen participation in the planning and preparation of activities and exhibits boost the effectiveness of these outreach efforts? These are some aspects in an emerging field, that deserves dedicated and focused researchers, and which does not overlap with the other positions, given the number and reach of the many activities involved.The hired researcher would be fully dedicated to this field of study, and, expected to participate in teams that submit funding proposals, attend specialized meetings, create/participate in networks with other Botanical Gardens, publish results. Together with the other positions proposed we expect to form a cohesive core of Researchers on different aspects of outreach and societal engagement, leading to a more inclusive and research-based community involvement. For this purpose, we believe that the Rectory needs to be summoned, so as both to ensure a transversal research plan involving different fields of study and infrastructures, and to not burden individual research centers.