FF09 · Researcher's Night in Sweden - ForskarFredag 2009

Researchers’ Night in Sweden, ForskarFredag (Researchers´ Friday), FF, consists of sixteen events and three associated events in nineteen cities, geographically dispersed over Sweden. The project aims at bringing the broad public face-to-face with researchers. FF will take place on 25 September 2009, coordinated by Vetenskap & Allmänhet (Public & Science), as in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Project partners are universities, science centres, municipalities, a tourism company and a regional council, all organising local FF events. The project is facilitated by the partners’ wide-ranging and diverse links within industry, academia, research disciplines and topics. The objective of the innovative and exciting activities offered is to allow for public engagement and meetings with researchers in a relaxed and festive environment. Fun, hands-on and interactive activities as well as informal dialogues on topical issues will help attracting the broad public, especially young people and those not specifically interested in research. The fact that research is all about communication and international cooperation, especially on a European level, is emphasised. The number of estimated visitors is at least 17,500. Live media reports and news items are also expected to cover the events. A coordinated awareness campaign will be implemented. Furthermore, a nationwide activity and a European poster competition will be arranged. Impact will be assessed and FF results and best practice will be disseminated through the participants´ networks and at national and international conferences. Results from VA’s own as well as other national and international studies on public engagement will provide valuable input to the project. Unanimous objectives, similarity of contents as well as a joint website will be common denominators of FF. Event programmes will vary, but all will deliver the same message: researchers are ordinary people with extraordinary jobs.