Raw Communications and Engagement (RACE) is an EIT RawMaterials funded Programme aimed at changing the way scientists and researchers connect with the public about the broad area of Raw Materials.
Welcome to RACE
Changing the way we look at Science Communication
Raw Communications and Engagement (RACE) is an EIT RawMaterials funded Programme aimed at changing the way scientists and researchers connect with the public about the broad area of Raw Materials.
Communication in science is much more than writing papers.
The overall objective of RACE is to enhance and develop awareness and understanding of the broad area of raw materials (RM), and the potential careers available in this field. Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) are increasingly shaping the world we live in. It is vital that society is informed about and engaged with STEMM at all levels. In achieving impactful research, scientist must be able to connect with the public. This is the justification behind the RACE Programme, a project that enables expert communicators to work with University students and PhD researchers in order to help them make their work with raw materials more transparent and understandable.
As part of the Bernal Research Day on the 23rd of November 2017, University of Limerick Students competed in the Thesis in Three Competition. Students were asked to present their research in three minutes with a panel of judges selecting the winners.
Over the past months, UL researchers have conducted a scientific workshop series for primary and secondary school students. The researchers gained valuable outreach experience as they simplified and communicated crystallisation, polymers, medicine and conflict minerals.
During December 2017, UL students took part in Physics Busking, an Institute of Physics (IOP) initiative that brings physics into the public realm. The event took place at the Milk Market in Limerick where students demonstrated numerous physics phenomena to the hundreds of visitors on the day.
As part of the RACE program, numerous students conducted career talks with local schools. This is to show students how they can progress from the science classroom into any aspect of scientific research. The various talks took place in November 2017.
The Inaugural Science and Beer event took place on the 2nd of December 2017. Two RACE students pioneered the event, which entertained 50 members of the public in O’Neills Bar and Restaurant. Science and Beer involved talks, demonstrations and audience participation. It went down a great success and will be bigger and better next year.
The RACE students from Uppsala University organised and took part in a Thesis in Three event in October of 2017. The event included 10 presentations to an audience of 65 undergraduate Chemistry students.
An open science event was held at the Matkus Shopping centre on the 29th of September 2017. The event attended to hundreds of members of the public as they were introduced to the dissolution and absorption of different tablets in the digestive system.
What would it be like to work as a researcher at a drug development lab? In the School of Pharmacy at the University of Eastern Finland, a Researchers Night was held on the 29th of September 2017. This two hour workshop for secondary school students examined various scientific and pharmaceutical tools, while investigating various tablets…
In March of 2017, the Technical University of Madrid held their annual ‘Expominerales’ event. This programme allows the public to get a glimpse into the world of raw materials by taking panning for gold and using metal detectors along with a series of engaging talks and lectures.
On the 16th of November 2017, a workshop on drones and their various applications in relation to Raw Materials was held. The public event showed off a number of different drones along with Virtual Reality Applications.
