The Wellcome Trust is distinctive among science funders in that it supports research and activities exploring and raising public awareness of the ‘non-science aspects of science’: the wider social, cultural, historical, ethical, legal contexts in which it is embedded.

Why should an organisation like the Wellcome Trust be interested in such matters? The most obvious answer is that it is not possible - nor desirable - to divorce modern biomedical science from its social context. A better understanding of this context, of the links between the generation of new knowledge and its application, will surely help us to use that knowledge more wisely - to maximise public benefits. And, of course, biomedical research is carried out on behalf of the ‘people’: do they not have a right to know what is being done, to feel they have some say over how new knowledge is applied, and to be equipped to make use of scientific developments in their own lives?

Such issues drive the work of the Wellcome Trust’s Medicine, Society and History programmes. On the surface they may appear to cover an eclectic mix of areas - ethics research, education and teacher training, historical research, public consultation, science centres, workshops, exhibitions, and film and theatre, to name but a few. Nevertheless, "there is a strand that links us all: public engagement," explains Clare Matterson, who leads the Medicine, Society and History Division. "Our aim is to keep drawing links between all our activities, so that people get a feel for and understanding of how all these different threads of our work knit together - reflecting the complexity of the wider arena in which biomedical research is conducted."

She cites the exhibition on malaria in the Trust’s TwoTen Gallery on Euston Road as a recent example of this holistic approach to science and society. The exhibition, by Canadian artist Bill Burns, was an installation displaying products related to malaria acquired through eBay, an online auction house. "The exhibition looks at the mosquito parasite from the whole gamut of perspectives - historical, present, scientific and ethical - rather than focusing on any one aspect in isolation."

Exhibitions are one strand of work, part of a series of awareness-raising and educational activity programmes run from within the Trust (educational, public exhibitions, and consultation activities are reviewed in the following articles). These activities complement research programmes, supporting projects aiming to increase our understanding of the social, ethical and historical context of medicine and biomedical research.

The Trust has supported public engagement projects externally for several years. Now, a new initiative has been launched - the Engaging Science Programme - with £3 million available to support innovative and imaginative projects in public engagement.

The Engaging Science Programme

The Trust’s original public engagement grants scheme, set up in 1998, focused on genetics and neuroscience. Although obviously these are still key areas, the Engaging Science Programme has a much broader remit: applications can cover any relevant biomedical issues.

The Programme comprises two new schemes: People Awards and Society Awards. "The People Awards are for activities only, not research," explains Caroline Hurren, who will be running the new programme. "We want them to be fast turnaround, so they won’t go to an external panel for consideration: a funding decision will be made by Trust staff with some external expert advice. This will enable us to fund activities communicating topical issues, such as MMR. Also, since these are relatively small amounts of money, less than £30 000, we can take a few risks and explore novel ways of making the public experience science."

Clare Matterson agrees. "The People Awards are very open, very free, ad hoc. They’re there to get some ‘churn’ in the system, and encourage people who aren’t experienced science communicators - and therefore might be deterred from applying for larger awards - to get out there and communicate science and its related issues. For example, PhD students visiting schools might apply for a couple of thousand pounds to pay for some materials - leaflets or practical aids to get school students involved in science." Furthermore, since the People Awards cover the whole range of perspectives on science - including history, art and ethics - they help to rationalise the application process.

The Society Awards by contrast are targeted, time-limited calls for proposals. Awards [of over £50 000] will be made for public engagement activities or research programmes of nationwide importance. The first calls for proposals will focus on young people’s education, science and art, and broadening access. Each scheme will have an external panel of experts and will run for a fixed period of time, after which it will be reviewed, continued or a new targeted call launched.

The Young People’s Education and Science and Art strands build on the Trust's significant previous investment in these areas. The ‘Hard to Reach’ call for proposals is more experimental, and has two main targets. It aims to encourage science communicators to consider ways in which they could reach broader audiences. And it aims to encourage organisations that work with socially excluded groups, such as elderly people and ethnic minorities - where particular biomedical issues might be especially relevant - to introduce biomedical science into their activities.

In addition to the People and Society Awards, support for public engagement projects is also available through the History of Medicine Programme - to help bring a historical perspective to key, contemporary issues.

Projects funded to date by the scheme include an award to Wendy Love to run a series of debates at the University of Newcastle. These kicked off with a discussion about the meaning the Hippocratic Oath has for the present-day medical profession and the lessons that can be learned from looking at parallels between classical medicine and today’s medicine. The scheme has also funded a historical play aimed at school students, Big Brum, which shows an 18th-century Viennese doctor struggling to get his ideas about hygiene and health accepted. The play forms part of a day’s event and is followed by a debate - between the audience and the actors still in role - about the relevance of the play’s message for today. Students will be encouraged to consider the advantages and disadvantages of resistance to new ideas, and whether or not science should move forward by consensus.

Partnerships

As well as externally funded projects, the Trust is continuing to develop its own work. Wherever possible it works in collaboration with bodies with similar aims, to maximise impact or reach new audiences. For example, the Trust worked with the BBC on its ‘Beyond Broadcast’ project, part of its programme of work aimed at promoting informed debate. A number of TV and radio programmes on various aspects of genetics research were complemented by a series of public debates around the country. Each debate featured a local scientist and a bioethicist in a managed discussion with audience contributions. The debates were linked into local radio, with the London debate broadcast on Radio 4. "We reached about a quarter of a million people with that series," comments Caroline Hurren. "It was a really good partnership. The BBC provided that tremendous audience reach, and we provided the expertise on genetics."

In a similar vein, the Trust has put £34 million into science centres across the country in recent years. The aim of science centres is to encourage the public to find out more about contemporary science, and to consider its social and ethical implications. The emphasis is on interactive features, and on topicality. To ensure the latter, the Trust, together with the Millennium Commission and the Wolfson Foundation, has launched a £33 million fund - ReDiscover - to enable science centres to update their content to respond to what is happening in the media, and changing areas of public concern.

"It’s an incredibly exciting time to be involved in biomedical science," concludes Clare Matterson. "At the Wellcome Trust you can get a palpable sense of how science is progressing. But we shouldn’t get carried away. There’s still plenty of uncertainty in science and some people have understandable concerns about where we’re going. By acknowledging those concerns, listening and being open about what we are doing, and providing ways in which people can find out what they want to know, we can hopefully move forward on the basis of mutual trust and understanding."

See also

• Examples of Public Engagement projects
• Engaging Science Programme: Details of schemes including, Society Awards, People Awards and Pulse

External links

• Millennium Commission