‘Inspiring Stories’ with Lisa Hanley
Deputy Head of Public Engagement , University of Southampton
This is part of the Engaged Medicine ‘Inspiring Stories’ blog series. The blogs explore the stories behind outreach and patient-public engagement activities of staff and students from the University of Southampton’s Faculty of Medicine. This blog is written by Lisa Hanley, Deputy Head of Public Engagement at the University of Southampton.
Public Engagement with Research – it’s not all festivals!
I am delighted and privileged to have recently been appointed Deputy Head of Public Engagement at the University of Southampton. Based at Highfield campus, I have been warmly welcomed back into the fold where I previously worked as Public Engagement Project Manager and Research Impact Manager (amongst other roles) for 18 years. Since leaving in 2022 to experience the big wide world of commercial research, innovation and impact I now understand that some audiences might consider the awesome and inspirational Science Festivals to be the main focus of the Public Engagement with Research Unit (fondly known as PERu). However, there is much more to the repertoire, ambition and significance of Public Engagement at Southampton.
Public Engagement (PE) is like an essential bridge to and from research and communities. It can be open and welcoming to the thoughts, feedback, collaboration and enjoyment of people from all walks of life – from the youngest child at school, a community group or your grandparents, to a town mayor or a global business leader. The bridge can be inclusive, wide and crossed from either direction enabling two-way interactive engagement, talking as well as listening. But there can be barriers to crossing this bridge – it might sometimes have steep steps that some people are not confident enough or able to climb, or it may only be open at certain times when some people have important caring responsibilities, or require a toll payment that some people do not have the funds for. With these barriers in place, the bridge is inaccessible and the people that need and want to cross it cannot do so.
These challenges are real and complex in the world of PE. Dedicated professionals and champions across the University and community are endeavouring to create solutions that break down barriers to enable relevant, accessible, sustainable, co-produced, interdisciplinary PE activities with rich, diverse, multilayered outcomes for a real society informed and co-created by the voices of that society. In 2008 the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) was established “To create a culture within Higher Education where public engagement is formalised and embedded as a valued and recognised activity for staff at all levels, and for students.” Nearly 10 years later, I was appointed Project Manager of the UKRI/NCCPE SEE-PER Project at Southampton and organised a survey to explore how the uptake of PE training and delivery could be improved to enhance capacity, capability and reduce barriers. The survey illuminated areas for improvement including development of funding, opportunities and training. Since then an enormous amount of work has taken place to enhance the way PE is taught, delivered, enjoyed and evaluated to create high quality, impactful outcomes (such as those found in the REF and KEF results) and PE policy and practice continue to be embedded at school, faculty and organisational levels – but there is still more to do.
At the recent NCCPE ‘Engage’ conference, I listened to Steven Hill of Research England and Chair of the REF Panel speak about how the research system might change in future. With mentions of the need for more action orientated research, increasing engagement and co-creation with society with teams that aren’t just researchers, it’s clear that it has never been more important for excellence in PE to be delivered, recognised and rewarded. To me, themes from this talk resonate with the ambitions and frustrations of colleagues attempting to co-create by bringing together the interdisciplinary expertise of willing communities that are grappling with the backdrop of minimal resources, pressures on time and lack of wider awareness of the potential importance and impact of PE. Efforts across the University including the creation of a Public Engagement Framework, the signing of the Civic Agreement and Public Engagement Development Funding have bolstered awareness and understanding of PE since my PE journey started and I have been glad to see an increased appetite for professional development, funding and co-production since my return to the University but I also see the potential for greater esteem and growth.
I am excited that my role in this wide and diverse landscape is to progress positive change for PE by managing and developing a sustainable evidence based training programme to be launched during the Autumn term to increase knowledge, confidence and capacity for the delivery of high quality, accessible PE; manage the Public Engagement Development Fund to enable the first stage of a broad spectrum of PE ambitions to be explored, tested and evaluated in a safe supportive environment, underpinning future enhancements and funding opportunities; and lead the Public Engagement Network (PEN) as a forum to share challenges, offer guidance, promote best practice and celebrate success.
Together with the wise and dedicated colleagues in my team, across the wider University and Community groups, I am very much looking forward to enhancing opportunities, activities, tools and frameworks that enable impactful Public Engagement outcomes and support a collegial inclusive research culture at Southampton and beyond.
Date for your diaries: The next Public Engagement Network event will take place from 12.00pm – 1.30pm on Thursday 11 July in Lab T (166/37) on Level 6 at the National Oceanography Centre.
Speakers:
Joerg Wiedenmann, Professor of Biological Oceanography, Ocean and Earth Science and Head of Coral Reef Laboratory will speak about the highlights of his Public Engagement journey, including BLEACHED an immersive art meets science exhibition held in 2022 that contributed towards a successful REF impact case study.
Allison Stratford, Associate Director Corporate Communications, will speak about how her team can support the communication of your research, community and public engagement activities and notable achievements in an engaging way through online multimedia, broadcast and print.
All welcome!
About Lisa
As well as loving a cup of tea and discussion about all things Public Engagement, Lisa also enjoys travel, festivals, paddle boarding and family time. A proud Equality, Diversity and Inclusion champion, she established and Chaired the University of Southampton Parent and Carer Network from 2012 – 2022 to shape and influence policies for people with parenting and caring responsibilities and for which she was awarded an Equality and Diversity Vice-Chancellor’s Award.
She completed the 2017/18 NCCPE Engage Academy and is a member of the NCCPE Public Engagement Professionals Network.
Ask Lisa about the Public Engagement Development Fund, Public Engagement Network, Training and Development, Evaluation and Impact.
Stay Connected! To find out more about the ‘Inspiring Stories’ series, Faculty of Medicine educational programmes and research, or to get involved use the links below or contact Professor Lucy Green.
University staff or students click here for the Engaged Medicine SharePoint.