This page serves as a comprehensive resource hub, providing guidance on various aspects of engagement. In May 2024, the Podium Institute partnered with Dr. Carinne Piekema from the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN) to support its doctoral students and researchers in refining their communication skills and gaining a deeper understanding of community and public engagement.
Whether you’re looking to gather compelling evidence for funding applications, tailor your message to resonate with different audiences, or raise public awareness about your research in meaningful ways, on this page you will find practical resources and insights to support you:
Engagement support for Podium researchers
Engagement team: Our Engagement Manager is Dr Carinne Piekema. You are welcome to contact Carinne and her team for any engagement query.
Monthly public engagement drop-in clinics: the engagement team offers monthly drop-in clinics on the third Wednesday of every month, 10:30-11:30am, alternating online via Teams and in person at the WIN public engagement office. Suitable for people at any stage of public engagement experience; feel free to come with specific questions about a new public engagement idea you’re developing, or more general queries about how to get involved in existing public engagement opportunities.
Lending library of public engagement materials: The engagement team has an extensive inventory of public engagement materials to use in sessions you are running – e.g. activities for primary and secondary school visits, tech equipment, and more. Please contact the Engagement Coordinator (Dr Hanna Smyth to enquire about availability.
More support: For examples of engagement activities, to find out what you can get help with, and for inspiration, find more about the work of our engagement team here: Engagement Support.
University of Oxford Engagement Resources
The best way to keep up to date on public engagement at Oxford is to subscribe to the monthly PER Digest: email publicengagement@admin.ox.ac.uk including ‘Start PER DIGEST’ in the email subject line.
The university’s MPLS Division has an online self-guided two-hour “Introduction to Public Engagement with Research” course that you can access for free (with your university SSO login credentials).
The university’s Medical Sciences Division has a comprehensive public engagement portal sharing info on training and funding opportunities, equipment for loan, and links to various opportunities and toolkits. Like every Division of the university, Medical Sciences has a Divisional Public Engagement Coordinator, and many Medical Sciences departments and research centres also have their own public engagement staff, like the WIN.
The university’s central Public Engagement with Research team (based in Research Services) signposts funding opportunities, toolkits, contacts across the university, and more.
Public Engagement Facilitator Network (PEFN): PEFN is a University-wide network, which creates opportunities for networking, shared learning and best practice in all things Public Engagement with Research. Launched in February 2021, the network involves informal meetings once or twice a term, with the opportunity for responsive and flexible interaction through a dedicated MS Team with subject specific channels. The aim of the network is to provide peer support and create a community comprised of staff at the University of Oxford who actively support, facilitate and/ or lead Public Engagement with Research as part of their role. It is designed for and by the PEFN community, and its direction is led by its members, their interests and goals.
Evaluation resources: the university has how-to guides available for evaluating different types of public engagement activities (e.g. citizen science, performances, exhibitions) as well as an evaluation planning template and various other resources.
New to Oxford PER Buddy Scheme: are you new to Oxford, or new to public engagement at Oxford? This scheme is an informal and flexible way for those who are new, or relatively new, to Public Engagement with Research (PER) at Oxford. You’ll be connected to a buddy who can answer questions, introduce you to what’s going on in terms of PER support, information and programmes that you might not otherwise be aware of, and just generally be a friendly face whilst you find your feet.