Utrecht Science Shops

1
Utrecht Science Shops

• Not for profit University Community
• Partnerships

Caspar de Bok - Utrecht University
Science Shop summer school 23 August 2006
2
Science Shop Basics

• Demand driven
• Listening and asking articulation
• Equal partnerships
• Quality and understanding
• Feedback to science system

Interactive Science Communication
3
Utrecht Science Shops

• At faculty/ department - Biology / Chemistry /
  Physics / Pharmacy
• - Law
• - Arts
• - Social Sciences

• Established between 1974 and 1988
• From 0.5 to 3.2 staff
• From small advise to PhD

4
Utrecht Science Shops

• Financing from Board of University
• Knowlegde valorisation
• Regional image
• Public service
• Political / social awareness of students
• Financing from Faculty / Department
• Practical education / academic skills
• Research themes
• PR

5
Science Shop for Biology

• 2 project co-ordinators (permanent and
  scientific staff)
• 50 advise projects
• 25 research projects
• community based research (CBR) in curriculum
  and outside curriculum
• 30 students

6
Science Shop for Biology

• Main fields of research
• public health / (eco)toxicology
• environmental sciences and policy
• (landscape)ecology / spatial planning
• enviromental education / health education
• animal welfare

7
Science Shop in the curriculum

• Bachelor phase (3 year)
• Compulsary courses year 3
• Optional courses - year 2-3

• Master phase (2 year)
• Master courses year 4-5
• Research project(s) year 4-5

8
Education traject

• intro science and society interactions CBR as
  example
• intro in CBR (bachelor) CBR as practice
  interdisciplinary course
• doing community based research (master) CBR as
  goal research project

9
Some recent projects(at Science Shop for
Biology, UU)

• Side-effects of pesticides ( follow ups)
• Traffic related air pollution and
  respiratory health
• Quick scan local air quality
• Citizens information and participation on
  local environmental quality (EC-proposal)

10
Case Local Air Quality

• public concerns
• EC regulation local air quality
• Aarhus Declaration
• cooperation local NGO
• EC Science and Society programme
• EC call for proposals

11
From Telegraaf, May 9, 2006
12
Some other examples

• Legislation in name giving (Law)
• Side-effects use of anti-depressives (Pharmacy)
• Emancipation in cycling (Arts)
• Noise pollution in Utrecht-Zuilen (Physics)
• Social cohesion in schools (Social Sciences)
• Contra expertise soil pollution report
  (Chemistry)

13
Cost calculation model
14
New Utrecht challenges

• merging of 4 science shops
• embedding in education
• SME front office
• renewed funding structure in 2008