Sciencewise-ERC Support

The Sciencewise-ERC aims to provide information, advice and guidance to all stakeholders involved in science and technology policy-making, including the public.

The Web portal

The ERC online resource is aimed at three types of user:

POLICY - those with a direct involvement in policy-making such as Ministers, MPs, Government department policy makers, advisory bodies, Non-Departmental Public Bodies, Non-Governmental Organisations etc.
SCIENCE – including scientists and other experts, the science communication community, and businesses
SOCIETY – including citizens, children and the media

All areas of the site are equally accessible to all users, but by clicking though the above sections you will be able to more quickly find information specific to your interests.

The interactive website is the Sciencewise-ERC’s virtual centre, providing tools and information on public dialogue and signposting users to additional information and advice.

Over the next 12 months, the website will expand to include:

Knowledge Hub – a searchable database of case studies and information, advice and guidance on dialogue
Podcasts
Webinars
Video streaming
Daily updated news
Participants Plus – to reunite project participants and grow a ‘community of interest’
Different levels of access for specific users
Links section
Media section

Our aim is to provide high quality and accessible information that will be of real interest and benefit to users. We welcome your feedback, so if you have any comments or suggestions about the website or the ERC in general please contact us at enquiries@sciencewise-erc.org.uk

Sciencewise-ERC helpline

The helpline is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, excepting Bank Holidays. Professional Helpline Advisors will be able to answer generic enquiries and more technical queries will be passed to members of our Dialogue & Engagement Specialist (DES) team.

The number to call is 0870 190 6324.

Supporting offline services

The Sciencewise-ERC is offering a range of support services to policy makers to help them identify and commission effective public dialogue.

For the POLICY community these include:

Advisory services provided by our Dialogue & Engagement Specialist (DES) team, including one-to-one mentoring
Assistance in designing and developing dialogue projects, commissioning external contractors, monitoring and evaluating outcomes
Co-funding for dialogue projects (Government departments and Agencies only).
Provision of advice and guidance to non-funded projects
‘Drop in for Dialogue’ - monthly lunchtime sessions for policy makers which include a themed session, lunch, general ‘drop-in’ session, and one-to-one mentoring (pre-bookable)
Workshops for politicians and policy makers including at Westminster and with the National School of Government
Sciencewise-ERC internal Government presentation sessions and network meetings e.g. with the Science and Society Champions’ Future Analysts Network (FAN) Club
Provision of evaluation frameworks tailored to individual projects and advice and guidance on embedding evaluation into dialogue processes
Project Managers’ workshops – to share learning and experiences
Provision of A4 Dialogue Packs
Quarterly e-newsletters

For the SCIENCE community these include:

Community networking events
Development of a science communication community and practitioner network
DVD of ‘Dialogue In Action’
Dialogue Essays booklet

For SOCIETY these include:

‘Participation Plus’ – reuniting those who have taken part in dialogue projects and developing a network to share experiences
Provision of A5 Dialogue Promotion Packs including Case Studies, ‘What is Dialogue?’, Top Tips for Dialogue, the Guiding Principles (summary version)
An opportunity to sign up for news and information on dialogue and engagement activities taking place in your area
Advice on how to get involved in dialogue and wider local and regional engagement

For EVERYONE these include:

Quarterly Sciencewise-ERC newsletters (printed and online)
Events calendar
Guiding Principles for Public Dialogue in Science & Technology
Annual ERC report

Events and exhibitions

The Sciencewise-ERC will be holding an annual event on 18 February 2009 to report on progress, share learning and celebrate achievement (by invitation only).

In addition, members of the Sciencewise-ERC programme team will be travelling around the UK over the next 12 months to promote the ERC more widely at science events and exhibitions and explain what it can offer to all stakeholders interested in science and technology policy.

Confirmed events include:

Cheltenham Science Festival, 6 – 11 June 2008
Science and the Public Conference, Manchester, 22 June 2008
International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Conference, Glasgow 27 – 29 August 2008
BA Festival of Science, Liverpool, 6 – 12 September 2008
Innovate 08, 7 October 2008
National Science & Engineering Week, March 2009

PR and Media

A section on the website will be dedicated to PR and Media. This will contain project information, press notices, images and so on. Please monitor the Home Page for further details.

Working with other initiatives

The Sciencewise-ERC will be working closely with a number of other Government and external engagement initiatives.

This includes collaboration with:

People and Participation Online, led by the Ministry of Justice and Communities and Local Government
Cross-Government Engagement Group, led by the Cabinet Office
Beacons for Public Engagement

For further details of all the above please search the site or contact enquiries@sciencewise-erc.org.uk or the Helpline on 0870 190 6324