Global programme: Horizon Europe
Specific programme: European Researchers' Night and Researchers at Schools 2024-2025
Call: HORIZON-MSCA-2023-CITIZENS-01-01
Project number: SEP-210962880
Duration: 24 Months (3/11/2024 - 3/10/2026)
Project Manager: Claudia Ceccarelli
UNINETTUNO Scientific Leader: Dario Assante
UNINETTUNO Project Manager: Marta Paladino
Website: https://www.scienzainsieme.it
Summary
The "ScieNcE Together" project aims to celebrate the European Researchers' Night in Rome by organizing the "NET Village" event, which facilitates direct interaction between scientists and the public. The project extends its impact through nationwide participation from various research centers across Italy and international collaborations with institutions in Poland, France, and Sweden. By fostering public engagement, enhancing scientific knowledge, and promoting sustainability, the project aspires to create a vibrant, inclusive, and impactful celebration of science and research.
Description
Throughout its history, Rome has been a leading centre for culture and science, and still today the city and its environs are home to Italy’s largest concentration of research centres, laboratories and universities; in fact one of the largest concentration in Europe. In 2019, the ScieNcETogether NETwork was established, primarily just by those roman research organizations that had a long-standing tradition of interaction and cooperation among them and with international scientific contests and wanted to lay the foundation for an active collaboration also in science dissemination. In these four years of joint work taught us that to make the Night a more engaging and inclusive experience and address a large number of citizens and young people, joining forces and collaboration is key and brings added value. Consequently we have developed a formula to celebrate the Night: a major event with researchers from all NET partners institutions and representative of the stakeholder groups in Rome (the NET village) but, at the same time, we are also aware that celebrating the ERN means feeling part of a larger European community. So, on the one hand we are inviting the partners’ branch laboratories and research centres scattered all over Italy (20 cities from north to south Italy) to share NET’s objectives and contribute to a national celebration, on the other hand we have searched for partners/project stakeholders outside Italy that could help us enhance the European and international dimension of the ERN. Having based our communication strategy on Marie Slodowska Curie as NET Night goodmother, it has been almost natural to look at Poland (Polish Academy of Sciences), France – (Marie Curie Museum) and Sweden (Tekniska museet | National Museum of Science and Technology), the three countries that sort of represent three different stages in the scientist’s life.
Objectives
The primary objectives of the "ScieNcE Together" project revolve around celebrating the European Researchers' Night (ERN) in Rome and fostering international collaboration. This initiative is designed to enhance public engagement with science, make scientific knowledge more accessible, and promote sustainability through community events and educational activities.
A key goal of the project is to create an inclusive and engaging ERN experience by organizing a major event known as the "NET Village" in Rome. This event will feature researchers from all partner institutions and representatives of various stakeholder groups, offering a platform for direct interaction between scientists and the public. By doing so, the project aims to bring the excitement of scientific discovery to a wide audience, particularly targeting young people and families.
The project also seeks to expand the celebration of ERN beyond Rome. Partner laboratories and research centers across Italy, from the north to the south, will participate in the event, ensuring a nationwide celebration of science and research. This decentralized approach allows for a more extensive reach and impact, making the benefits of ERN accessible to a broader segment of the population.
In addition to national outreach, the project emphasizes the importance of international collaboration. Recognizing the need to feel part of a larger European community, the project has established partnerships with institutions outside Italy, including the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Marie Curie Museum in France, and the Tekniska museet (National Museum of Science and Technology) in Sweden. These collaborations highlight the European and international dimensions of ERN, celebrating the shared heritage and contributions of renowned scientist Marie Curie, who has connections to all three countries.
Through these international partnerships, the project aims to enhance the visibility and impact of ERN, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose among European researchers and the public. By leveraging the symbolic figure of Marie Curie as the "goodmother" of the NET Night, the project aspires to inspire a new generation of scientists and promote a deeper understanding of the importance of research and innovation in addressing global challenges.
UNINETTUNO Role
<div>UNINETTUNO is involved in all the project activities, starting with the planning of the programme of events, the implementation of a massive information and communication plan through its stationary and digital channels and its network of contacts, and then moving on to the organisation of events both during the run-up to Researchers' Night and during the Night itself.</div> <div></div> <div>Uninettuno is a member of the project's Steering Committee.</div>