SCIENCEatHOME · Let's Celebrate Cutting-Edge Science at Home!

Let's Celebrate Cutting-Edge Science at Home!

RN2017@Ankara was organized by the Science and Society Center of Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) to promote public recognition of science produced via EU and nationally funded cutting-edge R&D&I projects around the theme of “Science@Home”. This innovative theme was utilized because home is a familiar concept to us all, and this familiarity has great potential to break the conceived barriers between science and society. The setting was designed such that our audience feels like she/he is walking in their house from their kitchen to their bathroom, on to the living room and then out to the garden and garage. This familiar surrounding was the storytelling grounds of how science surrounds us everyday. Storytellers were researchers themselves presenting outcomes of their research in a vast spectrum of disciplines. With the digital dimension of the awareness campaign, the ultimate total number of single person accesses was 800,781 (Facebook and Instagram); the total number of accesses was 2,830,587 (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter); and the total number of interactions was 76,417. Hence, the target of making 1,000,000 on-line and indirect beneficiaries aware of European Researchers’ Night and its objectives was reached with a fair share. On the other hand, the target of hosting a total of 10,000 on-site participants throughout the NIGHT, was also reached in RN2017@Ankara, including the individual visitors as well as the 157 schools from various municipalities of Ankara and 4 from cities other than Ankara (2 of which received logistic support through the project). The ultimate messages conveyed via Science@Home was “What’s up with R&I?”, “Researchers are amongst us” “Science is fun and very much integrated in our everyday lives”. In accordance with the impact assessment, the event itself (activities, contacts with researchers, concrete organisation, schedule, location, venue, availability of staff and researchers) received an overall positive feedback by all participants, for whom the most favourite aspect of the event was the researchers’ and personnel’s interest and sincerity. Yet again, the constructive criticisms of having separate activities for secondary and high school students and having more activities addressing adults will be taken into account in future similar science fairs. In summary, the project Science@Home reached its objectives and proved to be successful for the realization of European Researchers' Night 2017 in Ankara.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union