Research Goes Public

FNR PSP-Flagship
Coordinating institution: Luxembourg Science Center

Approximately 70% of the country’s citizens wish to be better informed about science and research in Luxembourg.
This is in line with visitors’ opinion at Luxembourg Science Center (LSC) who would like to discover more about these subjects too, in particular through activities they also enjoy during their visits: hands-on exhibits and experiments. Jointly with several research institutions and researchers from Luxembourg, we wish to initiate the RePublic: a hub where research(ers) meet the public. By means of this grant application, we seek to co-finance a creative, ambitious, and much needed initiative that will enable us to conceive and deliver research-related outreach activities in collaboration with scientists to a broad lay audience. To foster this mutually beneficial exchange and
increase the general public's literacy about national research, we have conceived a catalogue of activities.
Including, among others: Research Exhibits permanently showcased at LSC’s interactive exhibition such as for example: (1) the Space Crew: a hands-on exhibit developed with researchers from the Luxembourg Institute for Science and Technology and the University of Luxembourg, used to study collaborative behaviours, or (2) the SkillCourt: a game-based approach for accessing a variety of perceptual, cognitive, and motor abilities developed with scientists from the Luxembourg Health & Sport Science Research Institute, or yet (3) the Tube : an interactive exhibit developed with
the world’s largest producer of carbon nanotubes OCSiAl, demonstrating the properties of graphene nanotubes.
In addition to a total of six research exhibits, we have conceived other innovative activities that provide researchers the opportunity to inform lay audiences about their work in a playful and interactive manner. To address different research topics, various science communication methods and approaches are most certainly required. Further, one rather than another activity might fit better the involved researcher or the participant. In the spirit that various science communication strategies are required to bring research to the public, we have conceived: (1) The Lab: a virtual and interactive visit of national research labs and a meet & greet with the researcher(s); (2) The Naked Researcher: an exhibit dedicated to de-stereotype scientists; (3) The ResearchAlert: a series of quick and dirty interactive demonstrations related to national research alongside with videos highlighting involved research(ers) and educational resources for teachers; (4) The Living Lab: a space for citizens to jointly work with scientists on ongoing research projects; (5) In the skin of a researcher: workshops where participants become researchers themselves; (6) A Pub quiz series offering a game-based introduction into national research in a relaxed atmosphere and (7) Research on a Dish: a menu dedicated to national research projects stimulating discussion
and exchange. Researchers from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, the Luxembourg Health & Sport Science Research Institute, the University of Luxembourg, the Luxembourg Institute of Health, OCSiAl, ispace, Peinture Robin and the Luxembourg Institute for Socio-Economic Research were highly motivated contributing to the RePublic. The result? A catalogue of activities for lay audiences to become informed about and engage in topics
related to national research: from discovering the lab where a moon rover is getting ready to be send up to space, to solving impossible puzzles, to testing alternative foods, to learning more about renewable energies, to reveal gender stereotypes, and, and, and … the number of ideas from the research community was sheer endless. Over a 3-year period, the RePublic project – a collaboration between the research community and LSC – would put these ideas into practice: conceptualizing, developing, adapting and delivering these activities to lay audiences –
Research goes Public!