Explorathon 2022-2023-European Researchers' Night Scotland
Lead Research Organisation:
University of St Andrews
Department Name: Library
Abstract
Through the established and recognised brand of annual engagement events, Explorathon 22-23 will deliver two pan-Scotland editions of the NIGHT, focusing on the overarching theme of Making Research Real. Through this theme, we will demonstrate two key messages:
1. Research improves and affects our lives every day: In Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
2. Researchers are real people - living in and contributing to our communities
To do this we will take the public into research spaces to showcase the process and the people involved; we will bring researchers into public spaces to talk about their work and show its real-world value. We will demonstrate the diversity of the research community, emphasising that research is open to all. We will show that no matter who you are - regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity - you can be a researcher and change people's lives for the better. In short, we will Make Research Real!
1. Research improves and affects our lives every day: In Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics
2. Researchers are real people - living in and contributing to our communities
To do this we will take the public into research spaces to showcase the process and the people involved; we will bring researchers into public spaces to talk about their work and show its real-world value. We will demonstrate the diversity of the research community, emphasising that research is open to all. We will show that no matter who you are - regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity - you can be a researcher and change people's lives for the better. In short, we will Make Research Real!
Organisations
- University of St Andrews (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Malta (Collaboration)
- University of Split (Collaboration)
- University of Palermo (Collaboration)
- University of Glasgow (Collaboration)
- University of Aberdeen (Collaboration)
- University of Strathclyde (Collaboration)
- Trinity College Dublin (Collaboration)
- Bristol Natural History Consortium (Collaboration)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Kirsty Samantha Ross (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Cornwell R
(2024)
Unearthing new learning opportunities: adapting and innovating through the 'Antibiotics under our feet' citizen science project in Scotland during COVID-19
in Access Microbiology
| Title | EXPLORATHON 2023 Bright Club: Daniel Ridley-Ellis |
| Description | Daniel Ridley-Ellis is head of the Centre Wood Science and Technology at Edinburgh Napier University. He is one of the UK's technical experts on guessing the strength of wood and can talk for hours on the topic - which he frequently does if nobody stops him. His main area of research is understanding the properties of wood, and how they are influenced by tree growth, forest management, and climate. He represents the UK at European Standards Committees for grading of construction timber, and the majority of structural sawn timber produced in the UK is now graded with settings he developed. He was named "woodland hero" for 2016 by Grown in Britain, and is also active in online learning, public engagement and science communication. He was the lead organiser of Bright Club Edinburgh from 2011 to 2023.What is Bright Club?Bright Club is the platform that transforms researchers into stand-up comedians and has been doing this for 10 years across the UK - it's about having fun and audience participation! This event was recorded in Sandy's Bar, University of St Andrews Student Union on 29 October 2023 as part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentDaniel Ridley-Ellis conceived, planned, and presented the content recorded in the video. Kirsty Ross organised the event and recorded the raw footage of the performance, which Daniel Ridley-Ellis then edited into a YouTube-appropriate format. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 49 times and downloaded 4 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 134 times and downloaded 45 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/EXPLORATHON_2023_Bright_Club_Daniel_Ridley-Ellis/24893565 |
| Title | EXPLORATHON 2023: HERStory Makers training |
| Description | HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying researchers to share their work, their career journeys, and their personal insights with the wider world. HERStory Makers is part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night. There are two rounds: one for Scotland-based researchers, and one for those outwith Scotland. Throughout September, a video will be released each day, with voting open for just 24 hours! The top two from the Scottish round go through to the European/international final. Those who vote can pick two researchers as the most inspirational. Who will win? You decide! |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 396 times and downloaded 6 times, as well as being shared on social media 6 times. It led to the creation of nine videos for HERStory Makers 2023. I have also been approached by partners in Malta to incorporate HERStory Makers into their next application for European Researchers' Night. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 550 times and downloaded 39 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/EXPLORATHON_2023_HERStory_Makers_training/23592492 |
| Title | EXPLORATHON Bright Club 2023: Daniel Ridley-Ellis |
| Description | Bright Club is a thinking person's comedy night, where researchers share short comedy routines about their research, lives, and other observations to an appreciative audience. This video is a recording of Daniel Ridley-Ellis's performance as part of EXPLORATHON Bright 2023. This took place in Sandy's Bar, University of St Andrews Student Union in front of an appreciative audience of 50+ adults. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 22/12/23, this output has yet to be viewed or downloaded. However, Daniel has collaborated with us to create similar versions for the other three performers that night. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 134 times and downloaded 45 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/EXPLORATHON_2023_Bright_Club_Daniel_Ridley-Ellis/24893565 |
| Title | Fortissat Science Alliance podcast: Alexiei Dingli |
| Description | Alexiei Dingli was a Professor of Artificial Intelligence in the Faculty of ICT at the University of Malta. He took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in December 2022.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentAlexiei Dingli was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 33 times and downloaded 7 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 120 times and downloaded 27 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/Fortissat_Science_Alliance_podcast_Alexiei_Dingli/24915018 |
| Title | Fortissat Science Alliance podcast: Charlotte Martin |
| Description | Charlotte Martin was an independent researcher from Scottish Glow Worms. She took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in May 2023.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentCharlotte Martin was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 27 times and downloaded 2 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 117 times and downloaded 22 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/Fortissat_Science_Alliance_podcast_Charlotte_Martin/24915066 |
| Title | Fortissat Science Alliance podcast: Lauren Evans |
| Description | Lauren Evans was a PhD student in the Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde. She took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in April 2022.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentLauren Evans was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 25 times and downloaded 5 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 138 times and downloaded 32 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/Fortissat_Science_Alliance_podcast_Lauren_Evans/24914076 |
| Title | Fortissat Science Alliance podcast: Maria Ferreira Monteiro |
| Description | Maria Ferreira Monteiro was a PhD student from Trinity College Dublin studying pharmaceuticals and their solubility in water. She took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in October 2023.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentMaria Ferreira Monteiro was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 31 times and downloaded 3 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 124 times and downloaded 24 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/Fortissat_Science_Alliance_podcast_Maria_Ferreira_Monteiro/24915... |
| Title | Fortissat Science Alliance podcast: Rachel Onchuru |
| Description | Rachel Onchuru was a PhD student in the Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde. She took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in April 2023.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentRachel Onchuru was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 32 times and downloaded 3 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 182 times and downloaded 46 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/Fortissat_Science_Alliance_podcast_Rachel_Onchuru/24915060 |
| Title | Fortissat Science Alliance: Anne-Marie Weijmans |
| Description | Anne-Marie Weijmans was a Reader in the School of Physics & Astronomy at the University of St Andrews. She took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in August 2022.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentAnne-Marie Weijmans was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 26 times and downloaded 2 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 160 times and downloaded 26 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/Fortissat_Science_Alliance_Anne-Marie_Weijmans/24914241 |
| Title | Fortissat Science Alliance: Dagmar der Weduwen |
| Description | Dagmar der Weduwen was a PhD student in the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews. She took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in June 2022.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentDagmar der Weduwen was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 39 times and downloaded 4 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 144 times and downloaded 29 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/Fortissat_Science_Alliance_Dagmar_der_Weduwen/24914097 |
| Title | Fortissat Science Alliance: Jasmin Güven |
| Description | Jasmin Güven is a PhD student in the School of Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. She took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in August 2023.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentJasmin Güven was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 34 times and downloaded 4 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 126 times and downloaded 29 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/Fortissat_Science_Alliance_Jasmin_G_ven/24915075 |
| Title | Fortissat Science Alliance: Shipra Nagar |
| Description | Shipra Nagar was a PhD student from Trinity College Dublin studying pharmaceuticals and their natural products from Indian botanicals. She took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in October 2023.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance was a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentShipra Nagar was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 08/02/24, this resource had been viewed 32 times and downloaded 4 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 141 times and downloaded 26 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/Fortissat_Science_Alliance_Shipra_Nagar/24915096 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2022: Emmajay Sutherland |
| Description | Emmajay Sutherland is a PhD candidate at the University of St Andrews studying development of anti-cancer drugs from environmental sources. She took part in HERStory Makers 2022.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020762/1].Author contributions to contentEmmajay Sutherland conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, prior to scheduling the social media posts. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 31/10/23, this resource has been viewed 6 times and downloaded twice. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2022_Emmajay_Sutherland/24421870 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2022: Kristina Zovko |
| Description | Kristina Zovko is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture at the University of Split studying the application of fitness watches to detecting diseases in patients. She took part in HERStory Makers 2022.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentKristina Zovko conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, prior to scheduling the social media posts. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 31/10/23, this resource has been viewed 4 times and downloaded 4 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2022_Kristina_Zovko/24422005/1 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2022: Lea Dujic Rodic |
| Description | Lea Dujic Rodic is a postdoctoral research associate in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Split studying data science and machine learning in the creation of smart toys. She took part in HERStory Makers 2022.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentLea Dujic Rodic conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, prior to scheduling the social media posts. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 31/10/23, this resource has been viewed 6 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 232 times and downloaded 21 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2022_Lea_Duji_Rodi_/24422029/1 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2022: Letizia Leonardi |
| Description | Letizia Leonardi is a PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen conducting translation studies. She took part in HERStory Makers 2022.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentLetizia Leonardi conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, prior to scheduling the social media posts. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 31/10/23, this resource has been viewed 3 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 251 times and downloaded 32 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2022_Letizia_Leonardi/24422131 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2022: Martina Cagalj |
| Description | Martina Cagalj is a PhD candidate at the University of Split studying seaweeds as a potential source of bioactive compounds. She took part in HERStory Makers 2022.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentMartina Cagalj conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, prior to scheduling the social media posts. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 31/10/23, this resource has been viewed 4 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 317 times and downloaded 40 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2022_Martina_agalj/24422134/1 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2022: Neetu |
| Description | Neetu is a postdoctoral research associate at the Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies studying theoretical high-energy physics. She took part in HERStory Makers 2022.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentNeetu conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, prior to scheduling the social media posts. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 31/10/23, this resource has been viewed once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 97 times and downloaded 29 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2022_Neetu/24422155 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2022: Shazray Khan |
| Description | Shazray Khan is a PhD candidate at the Atlantic Technological University studying Lean Six Sigma systems in management. She took part in HERStory Makers 2022.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentShazray Khan conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, prior to scheduling the social media posts. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 31/10/23, this resource has been viewed once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 145 times and downloaded 31 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2022_Shazray_Khan/24461284/1 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2022: Shirin Ashraf |
| Description | Shirin Ashraf is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Glasgow studying novel viruses from Uganda and other parts of Africa. She took part in HERStory Makers 2022.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentShirin Ashraf conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, prior to scheduling the social media posts. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 31/10/23, this resource has been viewed 5 times. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 182 times and downloaded 23 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2022_Shirin_Ashraf/24461299 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2022: all entries |
| Description | What is HERStory Makers? HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1]. Author contributions to content: Emmajay Sutherland, Kristina Zovko, Lea Dujic Rodic, Letizia Leonardi, Martina Cagalj, Neetu, Shazray Khan, and Shirin Ashraf all conceived, planned, and recorded their own video content. Kirsty Ross edited all video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, maintained each individual video below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, and combined into the compilation file preserved here. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 09/03/25, this resource has received 161 views. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/collections/HERStory_Makers_2022/6904729 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: Francesca Fotheringham |
| Description | Francesca Fotheringham is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Edinburgh studying educational psychology with a focus on neurodiversity. She took part in HERStory Makers 2023.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON Francescasupported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020762/1].Author contributions to contentFrancesca conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, added subtitles, and reduce video length to below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 18 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 131 times and downloaded 15 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2023_Francesca_Fotheringham/24069216/1 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: Heather Mcclelland |
| Description | Heather Mcclelland is a chartered psychologist and researcher at the University of Glasgow studying mental health. She took part in HERStory Makers 2023.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020762/1].Author contributions to contentHeather Mcclelland conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and ensured the video length was below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 11 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 141 times and downloaded 26 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2023_Heather_Mcclelland/24069432 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: Islay Shelbourne |
| Description | Islay Shelbourne is a PhD candidate at the University of St Andrews studying the history of the 1918 influenza pandemic through ephemera. She took part in HERStory Makers 2023.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020762/1].Author contributions to contentIslay Shelbourne conceived, planned and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 13 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 134 times and downloaded 25 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2023_Islay_Shelbourne/24069501 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: Jennifer Newton |
| Description | Jennifer Newton is an entomologist at SASA studying psyllids and the infectious microorganisms they carry. She took part in HERStory Makers 2023.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020762/1].Author contributions to contentJennifer Newton conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert the required HERStory Maker credits. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 10 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 70 times and downloaded 17 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2023_Jennifer_Newton/24069459/1 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: Krishnaa Mahbubani |
| Description | Krishnaa Muhbubani is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge studying in vitro manufacture of platelets and simplifying research with humans. She took part in HERStory Makers 2023.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentKrishnaa Mahbubani conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits and maintain video length below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 3 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 158 times and downloaded 17 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2023_Krishnaa_Mahbubani/24087294 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: Michelah Brown |
| Description | Michelah Brown is a PhD candidate at the University of Glasgow studying musical performance and Black history. She took part in HERStory Makers 2023.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020762/1].Author contributions to contentMichelah Brown conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits and added subtitles. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 8 times and downloaded twice. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 146 times and downloaded 23 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2023_Michelah_Brown/24066171 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: Rosalie Bernheim |
| Description | Rosalie Bernheim is a PhD candidate at the University of St Andrews studying mediaeval history and menstruation. She took part in HERStory Makers 2023. What is HERStory Makers? HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020762/1]. Author contributions to content Rosalie Bernheim conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, add subtitles, and reduce video length to below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 25 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 434 times and downloaded 32 times. |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: Ruth Sellers |
| Description | Ruth Sellers is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge studying mediaeval history and menstruation. She took part in HERStory Makers 2023.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020762/1].Author contributions to contentRuth Sellers conceived, planned and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert the required HERStory Maker credits and edited it to fit the Twitter/X length of 2 mins and 20 secs. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 4 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 95 times and downloaded 15 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2023_Ruth_Sellers/24069483 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: Shubhangi Kandwal |
| Description | Shubhangi Kandwal is a PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, studying biochemistry and drug design. She took part in HERStory Makers 2023.What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020762/1].Author contributions to contentShubhangi conceived, planned, and recorded the video content. Kirsty Ross edited the video content to insert HERStory Maker credits and added subtitles. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 10 times and downloaded once. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 187 times and downloaded 22 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2023_Shubhangi_Kandwal/24069237 |
| Title | HERStory Makers 2023: all entries |
| Description | What is HERStory Makers?HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to share their research, their career journeys, and to inspire the next generation. Winners are selected by public vote. HERStory Makers is also part of EXPLORATHON, Scotland's contribution to European Researchers' Night.In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentRosalie Bernheim, Michelah Brown, Francesca Fotheringham, Shubhangi Kandwal, Krishnaa Mahbubani, Heather Mcclelland, Jennifer Newton, Ruther Sellers, and Islay Shelbourne all conceived, planned, and recorded their own video content. Kirsty Ross edited all video content to insert HERStory Maker credits, maintained each individual video below Twitter/X limit of 2 mins and 20 secs, and combined into the compilation file preserved here. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | As of 23/10/23, this resource has been viewed 256 times and downloaded twice, as well as being shared on social media. It is now a publication that the researchers can include on their CVs and provides a permanent record of their participation. As of 09/03/25, this resource had been viewed 499 times and downloaded 28 times. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/media/HERStory_Makers_2023_all_entries/24158688 |
| Description | EXPLORATHON is a nationwide festival of research that was previously affiliated to European Researchers' Night, a celebration of research across Europe. As part of Scotland's contribution, 815 staff and students from across the consortium partners delivered 198 activities across 128 events to an audience of 16,838 people. 69.5% of the researchers identified as female/non-binary. 70 external organisations were also part of EXPLORATHON. We also engaged with 1,738,398 individuals online via our 660 social media posts across 5 campaigns. As a result of our efforts, between 13.3% and 15.9% of our audiences were from SIMD20 areas of Scotland. 76.5% (2022) and 48.7% of our audiences were engaging with University research from the very first time. A very significant 97.4% of public audiences reported that they enjoyed the event, felt welcome and would attend again, with 90.5% more aware of what researchers do and the relevance of their research to society. In 2022, over 40% of researchers were new to EXPLORATHON, and 25% were new to public engagement practice. In 2023, over 50% of researchers were new to EXPLORATHON, and 16.4% were new to public engagement practice. This was supported by offers of formal training and bespoke support throughout the development phase, to which there was a positive response from participants. Approximately one-third reported being much more confident in delivering activity. While this could be higher, it likely reflects that three-quarters were already experienced in delivery. Social media proved to be an effective mechanism to share our work with our audiences, despite any changes to social media algorithms affecting the reach of our content. In 2022, there were 66 social media posts created to promote the festival, resulting in an impressive 1,473,680 engagements. The majority of this was driven by the University of St Andrews, linked to our social media-based events. We created 65 posts which resulted in 1,458,476 views, 1,485 likes and 3,970 retweets & comments. In 2023, there were 502 social media posts created to promote the festival, resulting in an impressive 264,538 engagements. The University of St Andrews, linked to HERStory Makers, created 491 posts resulting in 189,554 views, 2,300 likes and 14,036 retweets & comments. For the University of St Andrews team, EXPLORATHON 2022 was a challenging year due to financial uncertainties and delays. However, capitalising on our expertise in online engagement enabled us to have an international impact that has lasted beyond the initial event e.g. in improvements in open knowledge on Wikipedia and social media content archived on Figshare. Our involvement in EXPLORATHON 2023 resulted in invitations to deliver HERStory Makers in Malta next year as well as Wikipedia training to partners in England and Germany. We also noted that working outwith St Andrews increased the diversity of our audiences. |
| Exploitation Route | The learning outcomes from EXPLORATHON 2022-23 have already been incorporated into a fresh application to Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions & Citizens Call for 2024/25. This application was successfully awarded by the European Commission and will be taken forward by the renewed consortium partners: University of Aberdeen, University of Dundee, University of Glasgow, University of the Highlands and Islands, and the University of Strathclyde. Pan-Scotland opportunities will be open to researchers from any of Scotland's higher education institutions and so researchers from the University of St Andrews will still be able to take part on an ad hoc basis outwith the consortium. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Education Leisure Activities including Sports Recreation and Tourism Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Other |
| Description | Details of emerging economic and societal impact arising from the award that you are reporting on (including how it has evolved) EXPLORATHON deliveries by the University of St Andrews were affected by delays in funding and restricted timelines. This led to online only deliveries in 2022. However, these online deliveries enabled us to engage a more geographically spread audience via the social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers, HERStory Makers. Of the 803 responses to the evaluation question about ethnicity in 2022, 60.3% responded as 'white' 28.1% were BAME/ other and 11.6% preferred not to say. As 94.5% of the Scottish population is white, this shows a very positive outcome in reaching ethnically diverse audiences. A very significant portion of this audience attended 'HERStory Makers'. In 2022, 37.5% of the HERStory Makers competitors (who were early career researchers) were from a BAME background. HERStory Makers is open to public vote via social media channels and the researchers involved help to promote and share their content to garner votes. As a result, many votes were received from friends and family living in countries such as Ireland, Croatia, India, and Pakistan. This may help explain the large percentage of votes from BAME individuals. This reach has been extended by archiving all videos created in 2022 and 2023 on Figshare. Figshare is a platform for minting Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) enabling researchers to track the impact of atypical outputs of research. These are shared under a Creative Commons licence and are continuing to be shared and viewed. This also removes the reliance on brief social media posts as a source of impact. The University of St Andrews team are now receiving invitations to consult on providing HERStory Makers as a platform in Malta, which would be evidence for economic impact of our event. • A summary of how the findings from your award are impacting the public, private or third/voluntary sectors, and elsewhere In addition to HERStory Makers, Wikipedia editor training and editing provided an additional online only opportunity for researchers to engage the public. In 2022, 68 editors from across Europe received Wiki editor training. As a result, 1840 words and 18 references were added to 24 existing articles and one new article was created. Since October 2022, these edited pages have received 1.33 million article views. Subsequently, Dr Kirsty Ross has been invited to provide consultancy services for the Bacterial Plant Diseases Programme in England, and has successfully published a citizen science paper (see Publications). In 2023, the University of St Andrews team successfully delivered a large-scale event at Dundee Science Centre. In collaboration with the events team, tickets were exclusively sent to community groups in Fife and Tayside that supported either young people in areas of deprivation, or those experiencing exclusion due to disabilities. Comments from attendees were overwhelmingly positive, especially as EXPLORATHON covered both ticket costs and provided catering vouchers to encourage attendance. Feedback from Dundee Science Centre staff noted that "a lot of families commented that it was great to be able to enjoy such a wonderful STEM event free of charge as they would have never normally been able to afford the admission fee and food costs", providing direct evidence of societal impact. This was bolstered by feedback from researchers who appreciated the opportunity to engage with groups that otherwise wouldn't attend such events. In addition, classroom STEM boxes were also dispatched to all community groups who were invited to attend in order to support ongoing learning. We also welcomed colleagues from the University of Dundee to experience the event. As a result, Dundee Science Centre will be included as a venue for EXPLORATHON 2024/25. • Challenges overcome to achieve impact As with any project on this scale, challenges were experienced. In 2023, many universities experienced industrial action including working to contract. This directly affected recruitment of volunteers, especially postgraduate research students, who actively avoided activities that were perceived as voluntary. However, it was still possible to successfully deliver the programme with the support of more staff members than usual. The University of St Andrews team also experience volatility in staffing levels, as the lead organiser left the University and had to be replaced. This led to a more limited programme due to a reduced staffing capacity. However, a limited programme also meant that more attention could be devoted to each individual activity, which was reflected in researchers feedback on their experiences. One of our subcontractors, Skype a Scientist, is a non-profit organisation based in the United States. Due to GDPR, it was necessary for the University of St Andrews team to act as a intermediary between the researchers and Skype a Scientist. This led to long communication lines which were vulnerable to teachers and researchers dropping out. This has been a learning point for the team, who would change the delivery mechanism in the future e.g. researchers in direct contact with Skype a Scientist. • Significant impact within academia, for example the nucleation of a new research area Wiki activity at the University of St Andrews has grown significantly because of this funding. It is now embedded in teaching in the School of Computer Science at undergraduate level, as well as leading to research outcomes at Masters levels and via the St Andrews Research Interns Scheme (StARIS). For example, the Scottish Brick Museum and Glasgow Women's Library now have datasets available on Wikidata as a result of Dr Ross's experience with online Wiki editor training delivery for EXPLORATHON. It has also led to awards and nominations for 'Up and Coming Wikimedian of the Year (2022)' and 'Partnership of the Year (2024)' respectively, as well as Dr Ross's nomination for Knowledge Exchange Hero (Individual) at the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2025. Interdisciplinary digital research is an emerging area of interest at St Andrews and EPSRC Network grants are being drafted to support the nucleation of this new research area. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Retail,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
| Description | Curiosity partnership between BBC Children in Need and Wellcome |
| Amount | £1,050,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 209280/Z/17/Z |
| Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2018 |
| End | 09/2023 |
| Description | ERN Collaboration Consortium |
| Organisation | Bristol Natural History Consortium |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | For EXPLORATHON 22/23, the University of St Andrews was a partner in the ERN Collaboration Consortium. We co-organised planning meetings as well as providing training and coordination of delivery opportunities that were open to researchers in other countries. In 2022, these were HERStory Makers and the Wiki Editathon. In 2023, these were primarily HERStory Makers. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All partners disseminated our delivery opportunities amongst their researcher communities. As a result of this, multiple researchers were involved in our pan-Europe delivery opportunities. Across the two years of events, this included 10 HERStory Makers and 68 researchers trained as Wikipedia editors. |
| Impact | Outcomes: successful delivery of the following events HERStory Makers (all partners involved) Wiki Editathon (all partners involved) Outputs: artistic or creative outputs • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915096 (Shipra Naga, chemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915084 (Maria Ferreira Monteiro, pharmaceuticals, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915075 (Jasmin Güven, chemistry, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915066 (Charlotte Martin, entomology, Scottish Glow Worms) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915018 (Alexiei Dingli, computer science, University of Malta) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422155 (Neetu, high energy physics, Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24461284.v1 (Shazray Khan, management, Atlantic Technological University) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422134.v1 (Martina Cagalj, biochemistry, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422029.v1 (Lea Dujic Rodic, electrical engineering, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422005.v1 (Kristina Zovko, machine learning, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24087294 (Krishnaa Mahbubani, biomedical engineering, University of Cambridge) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069237 (Shubhangi Kandwal, biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069216.v1 (Francesca Fotheringham, psychology, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069459.v1 (Jennifer Newton, entomology, SASA) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069483 (Ruth Sellers, mediaeval history, University of Cambridge) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | ERN Collaboration Consortium |
| Organisation | Trinity College Dublin |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | For EXPLORATHON 22/23, the University of St Andrews was a partner in the ERN Collaboration Consortium. We co-organised planning meetings as well as providing training and coordination of delivery opportunities that were open to researchers in other countries. In 2022, these were HERStory Makers and the Wiki Editathon. In 2023, these were primarily HERStory Makers. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All partners disseminated our delivery opportunities amongst their researcher communities. As a result of this, multiple researchers were involved in our pan-Europe delivery opportunities. Across the two years of events, this included 10 HERStory Makers and 68 researchers trained as Wikipedia editors. |
| Impact | Outcomes: successful delivery of the following events HERStory Makers (all partners involved) Wiki Editathon (all partners involved) Outputs: artistic or creative outputs • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915096 (Shipra Naga, chemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915084 (Maria Ferreira Monteiro, pharmaceuticals, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915075 (Jasmin Güven, chemistry, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915066 (Charlotte Martin, entomology, Scottish Glow Worms) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915018 (Alexiei Dingli, computer science, University of Malta) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422155 (Neetu, high energy physics, Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24461284.v1 (Shazray Khan, management, Atlantic Technological University) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422134.v1 (Martina Cagalj, biochemistry, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422029.v1 (Lea Dujic Rodic, electrical engineering, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422005.v1 (Kristina Zovko, machine learning, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24087294 (Krishnaa Mahbubani, biomedical engineering, University of Cambridge) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069237 (Shubhangi Kandwal, biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069216.v1 (Francesca Fotheringham, psychology, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069459.v1 (Jennifer Newton, entomology, SASA) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069483 (Ruth Sellers, mediaeval history, University of Cambridge) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | ERN Collaboration Consortium |
| Organisation | University of Malta |
| Country | Malta |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | For EXPLORATHON 22/23, the University of St Andrews was a partner in the ERN Collaboration Consortium. We co-organised planning meetings as well as providing training and coordination of delivery opportunities that were open to researchers in other countries. In 2022, these were HERStory Makers and the Wiki Editathon. In 2023, these were primarily HERStory Makers. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All partners disseminated our delivery opportunities amongst their researcher communities. As a result of this, multiple researchers were involved in our pan-Europe delivery opportunities. Across the two years of events, this included 10 HERStory Makers and 68 researchers trained as Wikipedia editors. |
| Impact | Outcomes: successful delivery of the following events HERStory Makers (all partners involved) Wiki Editathon (all partners involved) Outputs: artistic or creative outputs • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915096 (Shipra Naga, chemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915084 (Maria Ferreira Monteiro, pharmaceuticals, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915075 (Jasmin Güven, chemistry, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915066 (Charlotte Martin, entomology, Scottish Glow Worms) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915018 (Alexiei Dingli, computer science, University of Malta) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422155 (Neetu, high energy physics, Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24461284.v1 (Shazray Khan, management, Atlantic Technological University) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422134.v1 (Martina Cagalj, biochemistry, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422029.v1 (Lea Dujic Rodic, electrical engineering, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422005.v1 (Kristina Zovko, machine learning, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24087294 (Krishnaa Mahbubani, biomedical engineering, University of Cambridge) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069237 (Shubhangi Kandwal, biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069216.v1 (Francesca Fotheringham, psychology, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069459.v1 (Jennifer Newton, entomology, SASA) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069483 (Ruth Sellers, mediaeval history, University of Cambridge) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | ERN Collaboration Consortium |
| Organisation | University of Palermo |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | For EXPLORATHON 22/23, the University of St Andrews was a partner in the ERN Collaboration Consortium. We co-organised planning meetings as well as providing training and coordination of delivery opportunities that were open to researchers in other countries. In 2022, these were HERStory Makers and the Wiki Editathon. In 2023, these were primarily HERStory Makers. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All partners disseminated our delivery opportunities amongst their researcher communities. As a result of this, multiple researchers were involved in our pan-Europe delivery opportunities. Across the two years of events, this included 10 HERStory Makers and 68 researchers trained as Wikipedia editors. |
| Impact | Outcomes: successful delivery of the following events HERStory Makers (all partners involved) Wiki Editathon (all partners involved) Outputs: artistic or creative outputs • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915096 (Shipra Naga, chemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915084 (Maria Ferreira Monteiro, pharmaceuticals, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915075 (Jasmin Güven, chemistry, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915066 (Charlotte Martin, entomology, Scottish Glow Worms) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915018 (Alexiei Dingli, computer science, University of Malta) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422155 (Neetu, high energy physics, Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24461284.v1 (Shazray Khan, management, Atlantic Technological University) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422134.v1 (Martina Cagalj, biochemistry, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422029.v1 (Lea Dujic Rodic, electrical engineering, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422005.v1 (Kristina Zovko, machine learning, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24087294 (Krishnaa Mahbubani, biomedical engineering, University of Cambridge) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069237 (Shubhangi Kandwal, biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069216.v1 (Francesca Fotheringham, psychology, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069459.v1 (Jennifer Newton, entomology, SASA) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069483 (Ruth Sellers, mediaeval history, University of Cambridge) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | ERN Collaboration Consortium |
| Organisation | University of Split |
| Country | Croatia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | For EXPLORATHON 22/23, the University of St Andrews was a partner in the ERN Collaboration Consortium. We co-organised planning meetings as well as providing training and coordination of delivery opportunities that were open to researchers in other countries. In 2022, these were HERStory Makers and the Wiki Editathon. In 2023, these were primarily HERStory Makers. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All partners disseminated our delivery opportunities amongst their researcher communities. As a result of this, multiple researchers were involved in our pan-Europe delivery opportunities. Across the two years of events, this included 10 HERStory Makers and 68 researchers trained as Wikipedia editors. |
| Impact | Outcomes: successful delivery of the following events HERStory Makers (all partners involved) Wiki Editathon (all partners involved) Outputs: artistic or creative outputs • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915096 (Shipra Naga, chemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915084 (Maria Ferreira Monteiro, pharmaceuticals, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915075 (Jasmin Güven, chemistry, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915066 (Charlotte Martin, entomology, Scottish Glow Worms) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915018 (Alexiei Dingli, computer science, University of Malta) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422155 (Neetu, high energy physics, Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24461284.v1 (Shazray Khan, management, Atlantic Technological University) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422134.v1 (Martina Cagalj, biochemistry, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422029.v1 (Lea Dujic Rodic, electrical engineering, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422005.v1 (Kristina Zovko, machine learning, University of Split) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24087294 (Krishnaa Mahbubani, biomedical engineering, University of Cambridge) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069237 (Shubhangi Kandwal, biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069216.v1 (Francesca Fotheringham, psychology, University of Edinburgh) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069459.v1 (Jennifer Newton, entomology, SASA) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069483 (Ruth Sellers, mediaeval history, University of Cambridge) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | EXPLORATHON Consortium |
| Organisation | University of Aberdeen |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | For EXPLORATHON 22/23, the University of St Andrews team was the lead for Work Package 1 (Awareness Campaign), as well as subcontracting pan-Scotland events such as Scottish Research Showcase with Sam Langford and Borrow a Researcher with Skype a Scientist. We also coordinated pan-Scotland training and delivery of events such as HERStory Makers, Wiki Editathon, Scottish Research Showcase, and Borrow A Researcher. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All partners contributed to all 5 Work Packages which was covered by a Consortium Agreement as well as a Data Sharing Agreement. More specific details on contributions follows below: The University of Aberdeen team was the lead for Work Package 5 (Management) and Work Package 3 (Researchers in Schools activities). The University of Glasgow was the lead for Work Package 2 (Activities during the NIGHT) and Work Package 4 (Impact assessment). The University of Strathclyde team didn't lead on any of the Work Packages but contributed to all of them. |
| Impact | Outcomes: successful delivery of the following events Borrow A Researcher (University of Glasgow) HERStory Makers (all partners involved) Scottish Research Showcase (all partners involved) Wiki Editathon (all partners involved) Outputs: artistic or creative outputs • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915060 (Rachel Onchuru, chemistry University of Strathclyde) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24914076 (Lauren Evans, chemistry, University of Strathclyde) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24461299 (Shirin Ashrif, virology, University of Glasgow) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422131 (Letizia Leonardi, translation studies, University of Aberdeen) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.23592492 (HERStory Makers training) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24158688 (HERStory Makers 2023: all entries, multiple disciplines) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24066171 (Michelah Brown, performance arts, University of Glasgow) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069432 (Heather Mcclelland, psychology, University of Glasgow) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | EXPLORATHON Consortium |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | For EXPLORATHON 22/23, the University of St Andrews team was the lead for Work Package 1 (Awareness Campaign), as well as subcontracting pan-Scotland events such as Scottish Research Showcase with Sam Langford and Borrow a Researcher with Skype a Scientist. We also coordinated pan-Scotland training and delivery of events such as HERStory Makers, Wiki Editathon, Scottish Research Showcase, and Borrow A Researcher. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All partners contributed to all 5 Work Packages which was covered by a Consortium Agreement as well as a Data Sharing Agreement. More specific details on contributions follows below: The University of Aberdeen team was the lead for Work Package 5 (Management) and Work Package 3 (Researchers in Schools activities). The University of Glasgow was the lead for Work Package 2 (Activities during the NIGHT) and Work Package 4 (Impact assessment). The University of Strathclyde team didn't lead on any of the Work Packages but contributed to all of them. |
| Impact | Outcomes: successful delivery of the following events Borrow A Researcher (University of Glasgow) HERStory Makers (all partners involved) Scottish Research Showcase (all partners involved) Wiki Editathon (all partners involved) Outputs: artistic or creative outputs • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915060 (Rachel Onchuru, chemistry University of Strathclyde) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24914076 (Lauren Evans, chemistry, University of Strathclyde) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24461299 (Shirin Ashrif, virology, University of Glasgow) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422131 (Letizia Leonardi, translation studies, University of Aberdeen) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.23592492 (HERStory Makers training) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24158688 (HERStory Makers 2023: all entries, multiple disciplines) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24066171 (Michelah Brown, performance arts, University of Glasgow) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069432 (Heather Mcclelland, psychology, University of Glasgow) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | EXPLORATHON Consortium |
| Organisation | University of Strathclyde |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | For EXPLORATHON 22/23, the University of St Andrews team was the lead for Work Package 1 (Awareness Campaign), as well as subcontracting pan-Scotland events such as Scottish Research Showcase with Sam Langford and Borrow a Researcher with Skype a Scientist. We also coordinated pan-Scotland training and delivery of events such as HERStory Makers, Wiki Editathon, Scottish Research Showcase, and Borrow A Researcher. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All partners contributed to all 5 Work Packages which was covered by a Consortium Agreement as well as a Data Sharing Agreement. More specific details on contributions follows below: The University of Aberdeen team was the lead for Work Package 5 (Management) and Work Package 3 (Researchers in Schools activities). The University of Glasgow was the lead for Work Package 2 (Activities during the NIGHT) and Work Package 4 (Impact assessment). The University of Strathclyde team didn't lead on any of the Work Packages but contributed to all of them. |
| Impact | Outcomes: successful delivery of the following events Borrow A Researcher (University of Glasgow) HERStory Makers (all partners involved) Scottish Research Showcase (all partners involved) Wiki Editathon (all partners involved) Outputs: artistic or creative outputs • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24915060 (Rachel Onchuru, chemistry University of Strathclyde) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24914076 (Lauren Evans, chemistry, University of Strathclyde) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24461299 (Shirin Ashrif, virology, University of Glasgow) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24422131 (Letizia Leonardi, translation studies, University of Aberdeen) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.23592492 (HERStory Makers training) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24158688 (HERStory Makers 2023: all entries, multiple disciplines) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24066171 (Michelah Brown, performance arts, University of Glasgow) • 10.6084/m9.figshare.24069432 (Heather Mcclelland, psychology, University of Glasgow) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Bioblitzes at the Botanics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Bioblitzes bring individuals together at a particular time to document the biodiversity in a specific location. Bioblitzes at the Botanics took the form of a public event as well as school visits to St Andrews Botanic Gardens. 19 staff and students supported the event delivery. The original project officer for EXPLORATHON (Calum McAndrew) is now employed by the Botanic Gardens as their Education and Creative Programmes Leader. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Borrow A Researcher |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Borrow A Researcher was a pan-Scotland series of virtual school visits, in collaboration with US-based non-profit Skype A Scientist. Researchers were paired with schools and organised virtual school visits at a mutually convenient time. As of 23/10/23, 6 matches have been made to schools so far. As of March 2025, the PI for this grant has volunteered with Skype A Scientist, leading to virtual visits to schools in Italy and the USA. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.skypeascientist.com/get-involved.html |
| Description | Bright Club |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Bright Club is a research comedy show, where researchers create comedy sets connected with their research and career journeys. This year's event took place in Sandy's Bar, part of the University of St Andrews Student Union. Dr Bobbie Cross provided the training prior to the session. 4 researchers, plus a professional comedian compere, put on a show to an adult audience primarily from St Andrews and the surrounding area. The most significant outcome was impact on the researchers' professional development and confidence in presenting in this unusual format. Recordings are being uploaded to Figshare. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Community days |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Community days bring together researchers and the general public to University spaces in St Andrews. There are hands-on activities and social activities to encourage visitors to mingle and find out more. 8 staff and students were involved in the delivery of these events. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://museumevents.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/august-2023/ |
| Description | Critical Conversations |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Critical Conversations are events designed to open up conversations about difficult and/or sensitive subjects. Four of these events were hosted by the Wardlaw Museum in St Andrews in 2023, involving 5 staff and students. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://events.st-andrews.ac.uk/all-events/?form=simple&sortopt=%7B%22Relevance%22%3A%22%22%7D&profi... |
| Description | Dundee Science Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 40 researchers from the University of St Andrews, University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, and SASA provided hands-on activities for young people with Additional Support Needs, their families and carers, as well as low SIMD schools and community groups from across Tayside and Fife. These groups were specifically invited to attend and were provided with catering vouchers to encourage their engagement. As a result, more than 1400 individual interactions took place over the course of three, 2.5 hour sessions. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, as researchers were able to engage with easy-to-ignore groups who would not otherwise visit a science centre. One researcher was able to pilot her mediaeval storytelling approach for the very first time. We also welcomed colleagues from the University of Dundee to observe and they collaborated with DSC for EXPLORATHON events in 2024 and 2025. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | EXPLORATHON @ The Shops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | EXPLORATHON @ The Shops involved four University of St Andrews researchers running hands-on activities in the Wellgate and Overgate Shopping Centres in Dundee. Activities ranged from estimating marine mammal numbers to creating new drugs for parasitical diseases. By basing ourselves in shopping centres, we were able to engage with individuals who may not have travelled to a similar event in St Andrews. We brought the research to them, rather than expecting them to come to us. We also observed a different demographic to typical science and research festivals. For example, in the Wellgate we met a lot of older adults as well as young parents. The venues also approached us for photographs of our events and we also discussed future collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Fortissat Science Alliance podcasts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Fortissat Science Alliance is funded by Wellcome Trust/Children in Need to support a STEM club in Shotts, a low SIMD area of North Lanarkshire. The STEM club offers hands-on sessions on Tuesdays and podcast recording sessions on Wednesdays, as a legacy from the COVID-19 pandemic. It enabled the young people to stay engaged with the project when meeting onsite wasn't possible. Over 2022 and 2023, 17 researchers provided 8 onsite workshops and were interviewed for 9 podcast recordings. These were then broadcast over the community radio station. As a result of this project, the young people developed their resilence in the face of failure ("science doesn't always work", "let's try again") and the project received renewed funding from Children in Need for a further 3 years. There was also an application to the Digital Xtra fund (unsuccessful unfortunately). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://open.spotify.com/show/1c8ENdJVsT3mkOVPlztfOf |
| Description | HERStory Makers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | HERStory Makers is a social media competition for female-identifying early career researchers to inspire the next generation. Researchers are provided with training to enable them to create engaging video content for sharing on social media. Each video is just 2 mins and 20 seconds in length. This competition is open to Scotland-based researchers, as well as researchers from other European Researchers' Nights across Europe. The winner(s) are chosen via public vote. In 2022, 8 researchers from Scotland, Ireland, Malta, and Croatia took part, receiving well over 500 votes from round the globe. The collection of videos can be seen here (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6904729) and has been viewed 158 times. In 2023, 9 researchers from Scotland, England, and Ireland took part, receiving over 120 votes from around the globe. The collection of videos can be seen here (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6815205) and has just been published. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| Description | I want to be... |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I want to be... events enable visitors to explore potential careers that they might wish to consider. For example, I want to be ... a marine biologist. Six staff and students delivered 4 of these sessions over 2023. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://museumevents.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/august-2023/ |
| Description | Scottish Research Showcase |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Scottish Research Showcase is a social media-based festival of research, hosted by Sam Langford (@GlobalSciShow). The principal is that each researcher or group receives a timeslot in which to post social media content relating to their research and their careers. This is then curated into a day-long thread, with researchers on hand to engage with the audience. In 2023, 60 social media items were shared which then received 46274 views, 2300 likes, and 14036 retweets and comments. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/GlobalSciShow/status/1700071488290992357 |
| Description | Wiki Editathon |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Wikipedia is the world's largest encyclopedia that is editable by anyone. To leverage our researchers' knowledge and experience, 8 Wiki Editor training sessions were delivered in August and September 2023. This training was open to researchers in Scotland as well as with Centres for Doctoral Training and partner NIGHTS across Europe. In exchange for this free training, we requested that all researchers commit to making a single edit to Wikipedia and her sister projects over the EXPLORATHON weekend. All activity was monitored via online dashboards (https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/University_of_St_Andrews/EXPLORATHON_72_hour_editathon_(30_Sept_-_2_October) and (https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/University_of_Strathclyde/EXPLORATHON_72_hour_editathon_(30_September_-_2_October_2022)). As a result of the initial training, 1 articles was created and 38 articles were edited by 68 editors, who added ~3000 words and 31 references. These articles have subsequently been viewed more than 2 million times since the edits were made. Plans are also being made to run independent Wiki training sessions in the run up to EXPLORATHON 2025 on request at Scottish HEIs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/University_of_St_Andrews/EXPLORATHON_72_hour_editathon... |