Terms of Reference

1. Terms of Reference ASHPIT is a think tank which will enhance the ability of researcher developers to deliver innovative discipline-appropriate support to researchers in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (ASH). This collaboration makes best use of limited resources and funding and is a way to embed and sustain best practice. It is timely to bring together good practice that has evolved during the period of Roberts funding and to disseminate it to the widest possible audience. The project supports capacity-building: sharing the resources and commitment means that institutions will be able to retain more than just the core functions that the current funding climate might otherwise dictate. It is intended to be complementary to the existing Vitae regional hub model. ASHPIT reports to Vitae.

2. Terms of Reference Our principle areas of investigation will be: Becoming a focus for ideas generation in targeted areas (public engagement, entrepreneurship, and impact & evaluation in year 1, career development, sustainability and researcher-led initiatives in year 2); Developing an implementation framework translating the JSS, RDF, Concordat, and other policy initiatives as they arise (such as the RCUK Impact Pathways) into workable training resources tailored for ASH Researcher Developers; Coordinating the design and delivery of five innovative training courses for ASSH to feed into the VITAE Database of Resources and the national VITAE training programme. This will include a review of existing resources, a collaborative gap analysis, and a ‘policy-first’ approach to shaping new content. Lines of reporting: Back to Vitae and ??? Date for ASHPIT 2: April 15thtbc – Focus on Entrepreneurship in ASSH

3. Over to you… Who are you, where are you from and what do you do? What is your interest/experience in public engagement? What would you like to get out of ASHPIT? What would you like to get out of today?

4. Programme

6. ASHPIT DAY 1: Public Engagement Why is policy important? Evidence-informed practice It usually underpins the strategic aims of our organisations It helps us to build a case for our own existence It helps us to write successful funding bids It helps us to support PGs in skills development that is most relevant to their needs, the needs of employers and ultimately the needs of the UK What things are we looking for in particular in policy documents? Trends Themes Funding opportunities

7. Basic Stats Wider Skills Agenda Research Agenda Higher Education Agenda Researcher Development Agenda What areas of policy are the most relevant? Public Engagement

8. How do they fit together? Government Policy Particularly BIS Affected by change in govt; broader economic picture Research Councils AHRC & ESRC in particular, plus policy documents from RCUK Universities Vitae Researcher Developers

9. Key themes • PG skills are required by UK economy and society – no consensus on the skills PGs have or exactly which skills are required by business & society • Creative Industries and Education are key strengths in UK economy (and key destinations for ASSH PGs) • Drive to develop connections between HEIs and business at every level • Research councils place strategic importance on their own public engagement (and that of the projects they fund) • Research councils require funding recipients to demonstrate impact (with specific reference to public engagement) • Idea of Impact & Public Engagement have filtered down to researcher development policy & practice – RDF/Concordat

10. Policy documents Basic Stats House, Postgraduate Education in the UK (2010) – drawing on HESA statistics The Wider Skills Agenda – UK Plc BIS (2009) Skills for Growth Leitch Review of Skills (October 2009) BIS (2010) Building Britain’s Future: New Industry, New Jobs – One Year On BIS (2010) Higher Ambitions CIHE Publications – The Value of Graduates & Postgraduates (Connor & Brown, Nov. 2009); Talent Fishing: What Businesses want from Postgraduates (2010) The Higher Education Agenda Universities UK (Sept 2009) Promoting the UK doctorate: opportunities and challenges Browne Report (Oct 2010) The Code of Practice for the Assurance of Academic Quality in Standards in Higher Education (amplified version published in October 2010) The Research Agenda ESRC Strategic Plan 2009-14 AHRC Strategic Plan 2007-12 Universities UK Annual Conference ( Sept 2010) Minister of State for Universities and Science, David Willetts’ Conference Address REF Impact Pilot Report (Nov 2010) The Researcher Development Agenda ESRC Postgraduate Training Framework: A Strategy for Delivering Excellence (2009) AHRC Research Training Framework (Autumn 2009) Universities UK (Sept. 2009) Promoting the UK Doctorate: Opportunities and Challenges Concordat Adrian Smith, One Step Beyond: Making the most of postgraduate education sector (March 2010) Vitae Researcher Development Framework (Sept 2010) The Public Engagement Agenda ESRC Science & Society Strategy AHRC KT Strategy 2008-11 RCUK: Our Vision for Public Engagement with Research

11. Wider Skills Agenda Public Engagement as a Dialogue with Employers The skills system must be shaped above all by demand from employers Govt policy promotes active engagement from business Importance of PGs in driving innovation, entrepreneurship, management, leadership and research & development (Leitch Review, 2009) Employers are not finding the skills they need in: experience in the workplace, leadership & management and communication On-going aim to develop the UK’s existing strengths in defence and security, creative industries and higher and further education. Significance of KT and PE undertaken by HEIs is acknowledged as a contribution to society far broader than research and one which ‘must not be lost’ by David Willetts (Minister of State for Universities and Science) in his Sept 2010 speech at Universities UK Annual Conference.

12. The Higher Education Agenda Significance of collaborations and partnership working between HEIs and external organisations QAA amplified version of the Code of Practice, October 2010 ‘Roberts’ funding linked in to ‘skills related to knowledge transfer and public engagement.’ AHRC and ESRC (2007 and 2009) raise the profile of Knowledge Transfer and Public Engagement (with specific reference to postgraduate skills/training) in their strategic aims. Browne Report (2010) talks about giving priority funding to taught postgraduate courses that are ‘in the public interest’

13. The Research Agenda: Focus on ‘Impact’ Impact is a key theme at Research Council level RCUK: Our vision for Public Engagement with Research Common to AHRC & ESRC strategic aims Both councils explicitly pull this through to their expectations for training AHRC goes one step further and opening supports the idea that formal training is not the most appropriate way to give students opportunities to develop certain skills and competencies.

14. The Research Agenda: The REF & Impact Under the proposals for the REF which were consulted on in 2009, assessment of the impact of academic research will play a significant part in the UK-wide quality assessment to be conducted as the REF in 2014. The inclusion of impact is a major new element in research assessment which will determine funding allocations, provide quality benchmarks and demonstrate the value of investment. The REF Impact Pilot Report (Nov., 2010) recommended that public engagement should be counted as impact. In terms of the REF, good public engagement would be activity which demonstrated: Clear link between research and engagement activity Evidence of dissemination Clear explanation of the significance or benefit to the audience Activities beyond public lectures or those that are sustainable or create a legacy (RLO?) Clear benefits to intermediaries (such as curators, cultural institutions.)

15. Researcher Development Agenda 1 The Concordat: An agreement between funders and employers of researchers in the UK. Key aim is to ‘improve the quantity, quality and impact of research for the benefit of the UK society and economy. Principle 5: Researchers should develop their ability to transfer and exploit knowledge where appropriate and facilitate its use in policy making and the commercialisation of research for the benefit of […] wider society and the economy as a whole.

16. Researcher Development Agenda 2: The Researcher Development Framework Developed in collaboration with researchers, researcher developers, employers, RCUK, QAA. Endorsed by RCUK, HEA and QAA. The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is a tool for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers in higher education.

17. The Public Engagement Agenda • ESRC Science & Society Strategy • Key strategic aim: To engage with teachers, young people and education stakeholders to help equip young people with the skills to become informed citizens. • AHRC KT Strategy 2008-11 • Focuses on policy development and advocacy, building and sustaining strategic partnerships and connecting partners (example: collaborate partnership funding opportunities with NCCPE and BBC.) • RCUK: Our Vision for Public Engagement with Research • Mentioned before under research agenda… • Vision is: • To enable society to value and have confidence in research processes and outputs • For PE to inspire young people to pursue research careers • To increase the societal impact of research by creating a culture where: • The research sector and researchers themselves value PE as important • An awareness of social and ethical issues which informs research decisions.

18. Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research • Published last week • Intention to make research more relevant, and to promote accountability and transparency. • Complementary to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. • PGs are explicitly included. • Foreword by David Willetts (BIS): committed to fostering public engagement, recognising its value for research and society; examples of art and science festivals, school workshops and research projects involving local communities. • Remaining challenge to embed public engagement activities, to continue to improve their scope and quality, to bring initiatives together better for greater effect, and to assess their impact. • Unambiguous statement of the expectations and responsibilities of research funders in the UK in meeting this challenge. • Set of principles for the future support of public engagement within research organisations requiring PE be made a strategic priority for HEIs, that encourages HEIs to recognise and encourage PE and offers appropriate training, support and opportunities for researchers to undertake PE.

19. Funding There are four main ways to fund public engagement: 1. As part of research grants from the Research Councils, or other research funders 2. Through dedicated public engagement funding streams 3. Through grants from trusts and foundations 4. Through partnerships, and other collaborative working

20. Funding AHRC - Collaborative Research Training - Student Led Initiative Awards Up to £2,000 each. To support the establishment of innovative collaborative research training programmes, originated by and run for postgraduate doctoral students that have a subject - or discipline - specific focus. Specific research training allows institutions to offer such training to groups of students where it is not possible or cost-effective to provide the training in just one department or institution. No deadline. Paul Hamlyn Foundation An independent grant-making organisation aiming to improve people's potential and quality of life. Funding is available for almost any kind of project which improves people's lives and the main streams are arts, education and learning and social justice. There are no minimum or maximum grant limits, but amounts are typically £5000 - £200,000. There are no deadlines and calls are open throughout the year. Lottery Awards for All The Lottery funded Awards for All scheme offers grants for projects which benefit the community and if your public engagement ideas would benefit the local community you may be able to apply for funding of up to £10000. Applications can be made at any time. Wellcome Trust People Awards?? Aims to encourage high quality interdisciplinary practice and collaborative partnerships and to investigate and test new methods of engagement, participation and education. (up to £30,000) - Deadline 28th January 2011

21. Examples of funded PG Initiatives Working in Public Engagement Engaging with Radical Ideas Postgraduate Public Engagement Training Day Engaging with Radical IdeasSeries of Postgraduate Public Engagement WorkshopUniversity of ExeterThe long-term aim of the project is to create a sustainable network of PhD students working on radical ideas in the South West who are committed to challenging the boundaries between academia and the wider community. ResearcherCurator Collaboration between University of Nottingham, Trent University & the Galleries of Justice The ResearcherCurator programme is an innovative career development opportunity for postgraduate researchers in the arts and humanities. It offers researchers from six of the East Midland's leading universities to gain valuable training and practical experience in curating part of a public programme in collaboration with Nottingham's renowned Galleries of Justice.

22. One final example… Engaging Researcher: Collaboration between Vitae & NCCPE One day professional development event designed to enhance researchers’ public engagement skills Training sessions at various levels from working with schools to co-producing your research with members of the public. Chance for researchers to develop a partnership with a range of exhibitors and apply for funding of up to £1000 in the Public Engagement Opportunity Zone. In addition this programme offers a £5,000 seed fund to support new collaborative partnerships between researchers attending ‘The Engaging Researcher' on 6 July 2010, and organisations offering public engagement opportunities e.g. museums, galleries and festivals.

23. Workshop 20 minutes: Look through examples from database of practise, NCCPE resources (individually) 30 minutes: Using DoP headings in groups of 4 mind map an idea for a researcher development activity based around Public Engagement 30 minutes: Report back to group and get feedback 20 minutes: Write project/activity/idea overview (as you might do for a funding proposal – setting policy context) 20 Minutes: Summary and Discussion of next steps

24. Headings from the Database of Practice Title Outline What skills will this practice develop? Who is the audience? How does it relate to the RDF? What are the main features of this provision and how does it relate to policy? What are the aims & expected outcomes? What are the key longer term objectives? Are there prerequisites for participation? How many can participate? How will you monitor effectiveness? What are the benefits? What are the challenges? What are the next steps?