The Public-Engaged Scientists: Motivations, Enablers, and Barriers

Why do scientists volunteer to be involved in public engagement in science? What are the barriers that can prevent them participating in dialogue with society? What can be done to facilitate their participation? We report the outcomes of a series of focus groups conducted with the young scientists who volunteered in SISSA for schools (S4S), the Children's University program of the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy.

S4S is based on the contribution of PhD students as volunteers, has a participatory character, and is attentive to social and gender inclusion. Their involvement represents a distinctive and innovative feature as normally public engagement is more for senior scientists in later stages of their careers. According to our experience, young researchers are very willing to engage with the public, and have a natural attitude to dialogue and participation, unlike the previous generation of researchers who often stick to an old-fashioned top-down model.

There are two kinds of motivation that drive young researcher towards public engagement. The first is personal: the desire to improve their own communication abilities, or their curiosity for a new activity. The second is related to the perceived role of scientists in society: many volunteers feel a sense of duty and the need to promote science and its importance in society, to have an impact on the public perception of science and to seed the love for science in young people. Notably, volunteers expressed the need to keep improving their communication skills, and agreed that science communication should become part of all standard training programs of PhDs.

In order for the outreach not to remain a sporadic experience, it is essential that a strong institutional commitment exists to promote, recruit, encourage, professionally train and support those involved.