Hands on science

Research developments in body clocks, genes affecting language and keyhole surgery have been among the exciting scientific areas featured in Engaging Science People Awards. With these small but flexible awards, researchers have been able to engage members of the public directly with science.

From September to November 2004, Dr Simon Archer and colleagues at the University of Surrey gave visitors to the Science Museum a chance to participate directly in a research project. The Surrey team has been exploring the genetic links to body clocks – circadian rhythms – particularly whether people are at their best in the morning ('larks') or at night ('owls'). Visitors completed questionnaires on their daily habits and provided mouth swabs for DNA analysis.

Participation was also central to a project run at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) by Dr Julie Webb, Vivienne Gaskin and Professor Amanda Fisher of Imperial College. A working DNA sequence lab was installed at the ICA, enabling visitors to see researchers in action, talk to scientists and help in the analysis of results.

School students are a crucial audience for public engagement. A project organised by Professor O James Garden, Stephen Wigmore and Andrew de Beaux at the University of Edinburgh has given children a chance to try their hand at surgical procedures such as keyhole surgery and suturing. There is a competitive element to the project, with students being assessed for speed and accuracy.

People Awards provide sums of up to £30 000 for innovative public engagement projects. They are designed to be a fast and flexible way of providing support to scientists, science communicators or other mediators keen to work with public groups.