How to co-design and communicate your research? Training for scientists at University of Helsinki by Future Earth Finland.

1. HOW TO COMMUNICATE AND CO-
DESIGN YOUR RESEARCH?
PhD Tanja Suni, Secretary General
MA Iina Koskinen, Science Coordinator
Future Earth Finland
www.futureearthfinland.fi
@FESuomi

2.
Increasing calls for better societal influence from research:
• Former and current government committed to it (TEAS, STN, leading by
knowledge)
• The triple helix idea in private sector: government, industry, academia
• Science to support decision-making
• Scientists to give contexts and scenarios in media and public discourse
• Future Earth: co-design of research with stakeholders
Many funding agencies nowadays require scientists to understand and utilise
methodologies of co-design, co-production, and effective science
communication.
WHY COMMUNICATE AND CO-DESIGN RESEARCH?

3.
Strategic Reseach Council (Strategisen tutkimuksen neuvosto)
• More than 50 M€ per year total, typically about 1 M€ per year per project
• Two calls per year, funding period 6 yrs/3 yrs
• Strategic themes recommended by the Council, approved by the government
• Break-through technologies, urban development, climate-neutral circular economy, security,
equality
• Consortia of at least 3 partners, in practice from 5 to 10
• Co-design and interaction plan required, support for professional facilitation
VN TEA funding (Strategic funding from Prime Minister’s Office)
• Research to support decision-making. One main call + complementary call per year
• 5.7 M€ per year, 37 projects – from a few months to 2 years
• Commissioned research for a particular problem
Government’s key project funding via Academy of Finland and Tekes
• Improving societal influence of ongoing research: adding the element of stakeholder
engagement, piloting, experimenting, application development
• 300 000 € for 2 years
• Eligibility: PIs in an international/Academy project, max 14 yrs from PhD
FUNDING INSTRUMENTS AVAILABLE FOR SOCIETALLY RELEVANT RESEARCH

4.
1. What kind of societal impact can research have?
2. Route to impact: co-design and co-production of research
3. Why and how to build your expert profile as a scientist?
OUTLINE

5. Formula for research impact
Stakeholder
need
Compe00ve
results
Successful
communica0on
Desired
impact

6. RESEARCH ON IMPACT

7.
RESEARCH ON IMPACT

8.
1. What kind of societal impact can research have?
2. Route to impact: co-design and co-production of research
3. Why and how to build your expert profile as a scientist?
OUTLINE

9.
The societal influence of research has been studied for decades.
Main factors influencing the usability and applicability of scientific results:
• Amount and quality of the interaction between the producers and users of
science
• Applicability of scientific knowledge for the users’ needs.
Factors that advance the utilisation of scientific knowledge include
• Co-designing and co-producing research.
• Long-term and trust-building relationships between producers and users of
scientific knowledge.
• One good way of maintaining such relationships is via “boundary organisations”.
SCIENCE IN SUPPORT OF SOCIETY – SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND

10. Source: Future Earth Initial Design
Report (2013)
STAKEHOLDERS: Policy and decision makers and planners on government and city level,
citizens, NGOs, private sector, media
”CO-DESIGN” OF RESEARCH

11.
• Ideally: identifying research questions together
• At minimum: designing end-products together with the users. At any point
of the project but the earlier, the better
• An opportunity for scientists to become visible in society and to influence
societal development by ensuring the scientific excellence of research
questions
• Co-design is not synonymous to purely user-driven, commissioned research!
Researchers bring to the discussion wider perspectives, different time scales,
and information about the background and interconnectivity of problems.
CO-DESIGN AND CO-PRODUCTION OF RESEARCH

12. Value-chain/stakeholder map
Research
Community
Psychology
Criminology
Anthropology
Cultural studies
Ethnology
History
Law
Sociology
Economy Political
science Relgious
studies
Policy Makers
EU
National goverments
Operative actors
Migrant advocacy groups
Schools
Healthcare providers
Prison authorities
Religious communities
Immigration authorities
NGOs (children, young, women)
Parties
Media
Immigrants
Children Young
Families
Local
communities
Neighbourhoods
General public
Policies
Knowledge
Recommendations
Methods
Knowledge
Rough example:
Contemporary radicalisation
trends and their implications for
Europe (SC6-REV-
INEQUAL-02-2016)

13. ESIMERKKI HANKKEEN SIDOSRYHMÄJAOSTA
Durham E., Baker H., Smith M., Moore E. & Morgan V. (2014). The BiodivERsA Stakeholder Engagement Handbook. BiodivERsA, Paris (108 pp).
EXAMPLE OF STAKEHOLDER PRIORIZATION

14.
LEVELS OF CO-DESIGN AND EXAMPLES FOR COOPERATION
The BiodivERsA Stakeholder Engagement Handbook www.biodiversa.org/577
Durham E., Baker H., Smith M., Moore E. & Morgan V. (2014) BiodivERsA, Paris (108 pp)

15. How to co-design a research
project?
Proposal phase:
• The value-chain: identifying actors necessary for best possible results and solutions
for stakeholders
• Thematic workshops for researchers and key stakeholders:
• Elementary mapping of stakeholder needs within the boundaries of the research
• Co-designing the guiding research questions
• Concrete interaction & communication plan for co-designing research and end-
products together and for communicating to larger audiences
• Clear roles for stakeholders: complementary knowledge, analysis and interpretation
of data, co-designing end-products, joint leadership with researchers on specific
tasks
Research phase:
• Adhere to the interaction plan: every step in it must have a purpose relevant for the
research!
• Utilise participatory methods in your meetings, workshops, Townhalls
• Create a public profile for the research via continuous communication

16.
1. What kind of societal impact can research have?
2. Route to impact: co-design and co-production of research
3. Why and how to build your expert profile as a scientist?
OUTLINE

17.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION – WHY BOTHER?
Compe&&on
for
a,en&on
is
tough!
-­‐
This
is
true
for
academic,
policy,
media,
and
lay
audiences!
Public
discourse
needs
scien&fic
knowledge
and
good
arguments
-­‐ You
are
part
of
the
democra0c
process:
make
your
results
available
and
enhance
the
decision-­‐making
and
understanding
capacity
of
the
decision-­‐
makers
and
the
public
-­‐ Provide
new
knowledge
and
correct
false
opinions
–
interest
groups
are
eager
to
take
the
floor
if
you
don’t
(e.g.
climate
pollu0on).
You
have
a
lot
of
offer!
-­‐ You
are
an
expert
of
your
own
field
and
your
field
is
broader
than
you
think!
You
already
have
an
expert
profile
(just
google
yourself)
–
why
not
to
shape
it
yourself!

18.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION – WHY BOTHER?

19.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
– 2 FUNCTIONS AND ROLES FOR SCIENTISTS
1)
communicate
your
research
and
research
results
Research
communica0on
&
research
communica0on
profile.
+
2)
take
part
in
public
discourse
Scien0sts
framing,
contextualizing
and
analyzing
events
in
nature
and
in
society.
Public
communica0on
profile.
=
Your
expert
profile
as
a
scien&st

20.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION – HOW TO BUILD
YOUR EXPERT PROFILE?
1)
communicate
your
research
and
research
results
Communica0on
takes
0me.
Design
a
detailed
communica0on
plan
and
s0ck
to
it!
First
steps:
1. Set
your
goal
and
iden&fy
your
stakeholders
–
who
should
know
about
your
research
in
different
phases
of
research?
2. What
are
your
key
messages
in
plain
English?
What
is
useful
informa0on
for
your
stakeholders?
3. Start
sharing
your
knowledge
already
in
the
beginning
of
the
project:
info
graphics,
visualiza0ons,
write
a
column
/
opinion
piece
4. Choose
your
channels:
e.g.
TwiXer
and
research
blog,
online
portals
(Climate
guide.fi)

21.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION – HOW TO BUILD
YOUR EXPERT PROFILE?
TWITTER
Decision-­‐makers
and
journalists
follow
TwiXer,
find
your
audiences
here!
People
are
interested
in
other
people
and
research
projects
end
at
some
point
–
tweet
as
a
person!
Easy
ways
to
start:
1) Remember,
the
life-­‐span
of
one
tweet
is
7
minutes,
don’t
overthink
it!
2) If
your
project
is
short,
it
is
beXer
to
use
#
(hashtag)
than
create
a
TwiXer
account
for
the
project
3) Start
live-­‐twee0ng
from
a
seminar
etc.
Write
a
couple
of
tweets
before
hand.
4) TwiXer
is
about
sharing.
Share
interes0ng
tweets
and
choose
right
#!
5) Remember
human
interest.

22.
Easy
ways
to
start:
5)
Remember
human
interest.

23.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION – HOW TO BUILD
YOUR EXPERT PROFILE?
RESEARCH
/
SCIENCE
BLOG:
Over
1,8
m
of
scien0fic
ar0cles
every
year,
50%
have
less
5
readers
per
ar0cle.
Blogging
widens
readership!
Case
Melissa
Terras
(2009).
More
space
to
share
your
exper0se
–
in
the
way
you
want
to
share
it.
Easy
ways
to
start
:
1) Remember,
research
blog
is
both
for
follow
scien0sts
AND
lay
audiences
2) Use
plain
English
(aerosols
è 0ny
atmospheric
par0cles)
3) Various
op0ons
for
topics:
your
own
research
content
(progress,
results,
field
trips
etc.),
latest
developments
in
your
field,
reports
from
seminars
you
aXend/
organize,
comments
on
0mely
conversa0ons
and
events
(COP21)
4)
Use
short
and
aXrac0ve
headlines
and
ac0ve
voice!
For
&ps
on
Twi,er,
blogs
and
visualiza&ons,
see
Future
Earth:
h"p://www.futureearth.org/blog/pop-­‐webinars

24.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION – HOW TO BUILD
YOUR EXPERT PROFILE?
2)
take
part
in
public
discourse
Fact
and
opinion
–
no
clear
dis0nc0on!
Public
discourse
needs
good
arguments!
What
scien&sts
have
to
offer
for
media
and
public
discourse:
• Analysis
based
on
scien0fic
knowledge
• Informed
assessments
and
viewpoints
• Crea0ng
a
context
• Specula0ons
and
scenarios
for
future
Step
out
of
you
comfort
zone
and
widen
your
exper&se.
Too
much
for
you?
Remember,
part
of
your
exper0se
as
a
researcher
is
to
know
where
to
get
informa0on!

25.
SCIENCE COMMUNICATION – HOW TO BUILD
YOUR EXPERT PROFILE?
How
to
survive
with
journalists
–
a
few
&ps:
1) Follow
the
media
and
get
to
know
the
right
journalists!
(Climate:
Heli
Saavalainen,
HS,
Pasi
Toiviainen
(YLE),
Mikko
PelXari
(Yliopistoleh0).
2) Contact
the
right
journalist
via
targeted
email
–
journalists
don’t
have
0me
to
read
press
releases
and
aXend
press
breakfasts
3) Check
the
media
and
ar0cle
type
before
hand
4) Discuss
the
content
of
the
interview
beforehand
–
remember
that
you
can
shape
the
agenda
5) You
have
a
right
to
check
your
quotes
but
don’t
make
too
many
correc0ons,
if
possible.
Make
your
voice
heard
proac0vely
-­‐
Build
you
your
expert
profile
in
print
and
online
media!

26. Future Earth Finland
– national committee for global change research
Division of Atmospheric Sciences
PO BOX 48 (Erik Palméninaukio 1),00140 Helsinki
info@futureearthfinland.fi
www.futureearthfinland.fi
@FESuomi
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