King's awarded RCUK public engagement funding

King's will use this award to help to pilot a new approach to strengthening the relationship between engagement and clinical research. The award will support the recruitment of an Engagement Manager within Science Gallery London, which is part of the Culture directorate at King's College London.

The fund builds on the successes and momentum generated by the RCUK's Catalyst funding and their Beacons for Public Engagement initiative and will help to catalyse change by ensuring that engaging the public becomes an integral part of the research process. Specifically, it will help create a culture where excellent public engagement with research is better embedded within the institution and appropriately included within its policies, procedures and practices.

Dr Daniel Glaser, Director of Science Gallery London and the Project Manager for the Catalyst Award said ‘ This is an exciting time for universities as there’s never been greater scrutiny of the extent to which research actually changes the world around us. This fund will help to ensure that the cutting-edge research at King’s reaches out beyond the university walls and is a benefit to wider society.’

Deborah Bull, Director, Culture said ‘I’m delighted that King’s is among the ten universities benefiting from this Catalyst Seed Fund. If innovations and new discoveries are to provide real benefit to society, engagement with the public is crucial. This award will help to support King’s in its ambition to become a fully engaged university.’

Ten universities will each receive £65,000 funding for public engagement activities over the next 12 months:

•     University of Birmingham
•     University of Cambridge
•     University of Glasgow
•     Imperial College London
•     King’s College London
•     University of Leeds
•     University of Liverpool
•     University of Oxford
•     University of Southampton
•     University of Warwick

Professor John Womersley, RCUK’s Champion for Public Engagement with Research and Chief Executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), said: ‘Public engagement is an integral part of research and improves both its quality and impact. We know that researchers are more likely to participate in public engagement if they have the support of their institution. This Catalyst Seed Funding will support infrastructure and cultural change within the funded universities and help researchers to engage with schools and the wider community.’

For more information, please contact Oliver Stannard, Marketing and Comunications Manager, Culture, King's College London, at [email protected] or on 020 7848 1320.