Science Shops Wales

Dr. Steve Harris – Schumacher Institute for Sustainable Systems

Cardiff UniversityIAS Research Workshop Series: Climate Change and HE

October 26th 2011

What is a Science Shop?

“A Science Shop provides independent, participatory research support in response to concerns experienced by civil society”

What do Science Shops Do?

Science Shops provide civil society with expertise and research support at low or no cost. They use the term "science" in its broadest sense, incorporating social and human sciences, as well as natural, physical, engineering and technological sciences – hence, inherently interdisciplinaryBy opening up the resources of higher education and other research institutions to the communities which sustain them, Science Shops also enable students and researchers to strengthen community links and develop research with real local relevance – a ‘service learning’ modelAll models of science shop/CBR centre are essentially ‘demand-driven’ and interdisciplinary in operation

The Science Shops Movement

Origins in Europe/US student movements of late 60s/70s 70’s: Netherlands, USA 80’s: Australia, Denmark, England, Northern Ireland,

Germany, Austria, France, Belgium 90’s: Israel, Canada, Spain, Romania, Norway, New

Zealand, Malaysia, Czechoslovakia, South Korea, South Africa

00’s: Belgium (renewed), France (renewed), South Korea (renewed), Portugal, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Iceland, Japan, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Turkey

Currently in 34 countries around the world, organised into national and international networks

Science Shops Wales

Set up in 2006 using a grant from the Strategic Development Fund (SDF) of the Higher Education Funding Council of WalesCentral hub in University of GlamorganOperational model developed by selecting features from the “spectrum of Science Shops” around the world Research through SCIPAS Reports, ISSNET

Aimed to undertake activities appropriate to civil society in post-devolution Wales; primarily focused on supporting statutory commitments to participatory democracy, equality and sustainable development

SSW Setup

Budget £375 000 per annum + some additional project-specific funding3-4 major initiatives, 10-15 short-term projects ongoing throughout projectX projects completed, X people contacted by end of project8 full-time staff, multiple disciplines Ecology, biology, engineering/renewable energy,

computing (cybernetics & general systems theory), anthropology, humanities (basic literacy & numeracy), social science, media studies (science communication)

6-8 contract researchers also employed14 outreach centres/contact points established

Collaborators & ‘Co-creators’

Community/voluntary groupsNGOsRegeneration TrustsLocal/regional authoritiesWelsh Assembly GovernmentSchools – teachers, pupils & parentsPatient groups & health initiativesEducators & Trainers

Criteria for Engagement

Research question/problem tractable, practicable within available resources

‘Open Source’ - public results, freely available for use by all

Clients/collaborators with no (full) financial means to access expertise by other routes

Ethical, oriented toward Science Shops core values of promoting social, environmental & cognitive justice

Principal ActivitiesStudent project brokerage - short and medium term research with civil society organisationsBespoke research and action for/with community sector/NGOs (using in-house or contact researchers)Collaborative work with University Research Units – data input, field work, publicationCollaboration in regional and national research and knowledge-transfer initiativesOutreach (workshops, events)Education & TrainingPublications – leaflets, handbooks, reports etc.

Phase 1 (2006-8) Outcomes

4 Science Shops and 7 Science Shop Contact Points established Review of operations in Quarter to April 2008 indicates move to a looser network model. In Quarter to July 2008 3 full-time external Shops converted to Contact Points with part-time staff presence, producing 11 Contact Points with remaining Science Shop/Network Hub at Trefforest. Year 1: c 1800 individuals engaged in non-accredited activity with Science Shops Wales Year 2: c 2,800 individuals engaged in non-accredited activity with Science Shops Wales