Enthuse, excite, inspire

Last year the Institute’s Schools’ Day celebrated its 30th birthday. To mark this milestone, Dr Peter Rugg-Gunn, head of public engagement and Dr Mike Norman, public engagement manager reflect on the changing face of public engagement, the Institute’s new public engagement strategy and why being a leader in public engagement is a vital component of the Institute’s world-class science.

2024 was a landmark year for the public engagement team at the Institute. As well as its 30th annual Schools’ Day, the Institute published its new public engagement strategy. Building on the Institute’s rich history of public engagement, the strategy aims to widen and deepen dialogue between scientists and public audiences to build trust and transparency in scientific research alongside inspiring a new generation of scientists.

“The new strategy embodies the Institute’s vision of being an open, transparent and accountable organisation,” says Dr Peter Rugg-Gunn, senior group leader and head of public engagement. “A major focus is on engaging underserved communities. Another key element is promoting researcher-led engagement, empowering and supporting our scientists and staff to devise new ways of engaging target audiences.”

Over the past 30 years, public engagement has changed. “Like research, public engagement is constantly evolving. Methods improve, new opportunities for engaging different groups open up, so it's important the Institute stays at the forefront,” he explains.

A demonstration of this is the Institute’s shift in prioritising underserved schools and communities under the banner of the Institute’s BioInspire programme, a move initiated by Dr Mike Norman since he joined the team as public engagement manager in 2020.

Whereas in the past the Institute often engaged audiences with ‘high science capital’, staff are using socio-economic data to build relationships with schools and communities out of reach of most opportunities to understand and remove barriers to engagement.

“It’s about having a considered approach to how we engage with these communities,” Norman says. “I want to ensure public perspectives are heard in research and enable them to have informed conversations with scientists. It’s crucial those voices come from all areas of society because our research impacts everyone.”

Together with a more targeted approach, Institute scientists and staff are in the driving seat when it comes to generating new ways to engage. Scientists and staff are empowered to deliver by seed funding, training and support, backed by strong buy-in from senior leadership, and celebrated through reward and recognition practices. It’s a collaborative approach that works for everyone.

An impactful demonstration of researcher-led engagement is the pivotal contribution of the Institute’s Epigenetics researchers at all levels in the public dialogue project of the Wellcome-funded Human Developmental Biology Initiative (HDBI). This public dialogue project, coordinated by Norman, was one of the first of its kind to bring the public, scientists, law makers and ethicists together for two-way, deliberative discussion about human embryo research and the 14-day rule. Its report, published in 2023, will be invaluable in informing future research and engagement programmes, whilst also feeding into national policy discussions.

The team can also see the effects of its shift towards prioritising underserved audiences. Four years ago, only 4% of Schools’ Day participants came from underserved areas. Through targeting, relationship building, and reducing barriers by providing travel bursaries, that figure reached 40% in 2024 and is just one example of how BioInspire is broadening the Institute’s reach in underserved communities.

Recognising additional barriers to participation in research opportunities, the Institute’s Research Access Programme provides eight-week placements for undergraduate students from lower-income families, minority ethnic communities, disabled students and students with caring responsibilities. Of the 30 students that have taken part so far, 13 are currently undertaking or applying for PhDs, and others have gone on to Masters courses or to jobs in the science sector. Rugg-Gunn reflects: “Providing paid, eight-week research placements enables undergraduates to gain their first research experience. It makes a real difference to them and their confidence, and the host groups at Babraham also find it very rewarding to be part of this programme; it has been a huge success.”

When considering the factor at the heart of the Institute’s success in engagement, both Rugg-Gunn and Norman emphasise the importance of top-to-bottom support. “Public engagement is embedded in the Institute’s DNA and this is reflected in the widespread enthusiasm to take part,” comments Norman. “It’s genuinely researcher-led and it’s an integral part of their work.”

“We’re an outward-looking institute, and our senior leadership is behind public engagement all the way, which means we’ve been able to build a talented team, invest in them and develop a long-term vision,” adds Rugg-Gunn. “It’s hugely exciting to see our approach revolutionising how we undertake public engagement and seeing the benefit this brings.”