With the 2025-26 academic term coming to an end, we wanted to reflect on the findings from this year’s Public Engagement with Research drop-in programme. This blog breaks down these sessions into key findings researchers can use in their public engagement work.
Our drop-in programme, taking place over the last six months, has invited research staff at all career stages to hear from Engaged Research Manager, Dr Dreolin Fleischer, on different aspects of engaging the public with research. Read on to learn more about what we learnt from each of these sessions:
Session 1 – Planning your PER
Perhaps one of the most daunting aspects of public engagement is knowing where to start. The first of this series advised researchers on how to get the ball rolling, whether for a short-term project, or the beginning of a longstanding collaboration.
- Think through your options. What level of non-academic involvement is most appropriate for your project, and what form should this take?
- Focus on the what, why, who, and how. What are you looking to solve with this partnership, and why? Who are you working with, and how will this change come about in a way that benefits everyone?
- Time. Embed public engagement into your work plan.
- Know your audience. Engage with communities who have the experience you need, and don’t be afraid to use this in your research.
- Be flexible. Working with non-academic partners is a great way to gain new perspectives, so let your research develop from this!
Session 2 – Paying Participants
How to properly reward participants for their time and energy can be a challenge. This session provided researchers with a summary of University guidelines, and options for reimbursement.
- Find available funding. Some project funding may be used to pay participants, such as our Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Fund.
- Budget accordingly. When planning your project, consider the costs of both delivering public engagement activities, and reimbursing participants.
- Check the standard rates for engagement activities. Keep clear records of the time participants have given to the project.
- Understand the payment processes. Familiarise yourself with University software and guidelines for processing payments.
- Speak to your partners. Some forms of reimbursement may not be fully accessible, and some people may choose to reject payment, or donate this to a designated charity instead.
Session 3 – Planning Events
Once you have decided on your activities, and the communities you would like to work with, the next step is to create a safe and effective event plan.
- Early planning is key. Knowing your budget and activity costs makes the later stages of coordination and promotion much easier.
- Accessibility. Consider the accessibility of your venue, as well as any potential needs of your audience, and keep all language precise and jargon-free.
- Organise your records. Keep hold of any booking contracts, and complete your risk assessment as soon as possible. If you are participating in a specific festival, check its individual guidelines, and consider the equipment you may need (some equipment can be loaned via our Equipment Hire form.)
- Find your audience. Market to your audience via platforms they area already using, and monitor attendee numbers and details leading up to the event.
- Don’t stop when the event is done! Consider how you will evaluate and report your event, and celebrate its impact!
Session 5 – Ethics
Our final session in the series discussed the ethics of research engagement, and how as a researcher, you can ensure your practice is fair, and in line with University guidelines.
- Build in time. Build in time for ethics approval into your plan, particularly when submitting a grant application.
- Communicate with partners about the process. Non-academic partners may not be familiar with University Ethics processes, so let them know what to expect.
- Be aware of changes to University research ethics processes. You can find the latest information about University of Exeter Research Ethics via Research Ethics and Governance | Compliance and Risk | University of Exeter
- Determine whether your work needs research ethics approval. If you aren’t sure whether or not your research needs ethics approval, ask! Complete the Ethics Self Assessment Tool, or contact the ethics team at cgr-reg@exeter.ac.uk.
- Refer to specialist support. Be aware of guidance linked to the specific festival or programme in which you are participating, and review specialist guidance from organisations like the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement.
University-specific templates and forms for each of these topics can be found on the Public Engagement with Research SharePoint site. If you have any thoughts on what support you’d like to see for effective public engagement in the new academic year, contact us at per@exeter.ac.uk.