EDSCIENCE 09 · Everyday Science 2009. Researchers and Research in Everyday Life

The project “Everyday Science” aims to bring the Researchers’ night initiative, for the first time, in the Emilia-Romagna region in the occasion of the next appointment of 2009, foreseen by the European Commission for the 25th of September. The project strategy lays on the regional coverage of the initiative, both by planning a central event in Bologna and several satellite events in other towns all over the region and creating a partnership whereby all university of the region are involved and with major research institutes participating to project activities. The concept of all events is to show how research and researchers’ work are linked to daily life. Such events will be accompanied and supported by the awareness campaign aiming at informing and promoting public events and the contents related through a variety of tools and media. Impact assessment activities are also foreseen in order to measure and evaluate the perception that general public has of researchers’ profession and role of research in everyday life. A central event with regional relevance will take place in the historical centre of Bologna, where experiments and demonstrations, exhibitions and guided visits, conferences, shows and live music events are foreseen. A number of researchers, from all universities and most relevant research centres in the region and directly involved during the set up of this proposal, participate to public events, together with actors, musicians and representatives of culture. Several satellite events are planned in addition to the central one and take place in Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Ferrara, Parma, Ravenna, Faenza and Cesena. Open laboratories, conferences, music concerts and science cafés will be organised by local universities, also by creating synergies with other initiatives with the same objectives. Active support by local municipalities is foreseen.