PERARES Work Packages at a Glance

Work package 1. Consortium Management

The proposed project will be coordinated by the University of Groningen (RUG), the Netherlands. Their person in charge will be Henk Mulder. He will be assisted in the daily project coordination activities by Norbert Steinhaus (Science Shop Bonn).

Work package 2. Structuring Public Engagement with Research through knowledge debates

The main objective of this work package is to define, organise and manage a joint initiative to set-up a transnational knowledge debate. This should ultimately be the interactive part of the web appearance of the Living Knowledge network, and it will serve as a way to articulate research requests from CSOs all over Europe and submit these requests to the collective research capacity of all Living Knowledge members and beyond, thereby benefiting the further development of the ERA along the lines given in the Ljubljana process and Lund declaration for involvement of civil society stakeholders.

Work package 3. Pilot for permanent debate lab-CSO

The objectives are to pilot a novel form of research co-operation with CSOs, i.e. a continuous debate between research labs and CSOs, and to analyze this to learn from it and make an addition to the current toolbox developed for science shops.

Work package 4. Capacity Building for Structuring PER through Research with CSOs

This work package aims to increase the efficacy and number of science shop-like initiatives, thus enlarging the possibilities for CSOs throughout Europe to engage with research. Therefore, we aim to develop regional multi-annual PER action plans to start or advance science-shop like work in nine regions. We offer mentoring, advice and workshops to assist the organisers of science shops-like initiatives.

Work package 5. Structuring PER in Research on Domestic Violence

We will enact a pilot PER action plan with following objectives: Actively engage CSOs from different countries with research bodies and vice versa, facilitated through and managed by Science Shops. Gathering information from and for civil society organizations to improve the well-being of a particular group of people within Europe. Obtaining relevant European-wide data and recommendations on research on domestic violence and cooperation with CSOs, for policymakers regarding research agendas on a national and European level (study results and requests for future research agenda), described in a multi-annual PER action plan which can be used to prolong the PERARES project. Evaluating/monitoring the process of engagement between civil society organizations and researchers. And laying a foundation for new Science Shops through the pilot case “domestic violence during pregnancy” and exchange of experience (Science Shop Brussels, Stavanger, Cambridge).

Work package 6. Structuring PER in Social Sciences Research and Forgotten Citizens of Europe: Local Human Rights

The main objective of this work package is to explore ongoing, and initiating new processes of actively engaging CSOs in many steps of local human rights research, so that research matches the community’s needs, particularly the needs of minority groups, in order to ensure that the most pressing R&D concerns are addressed and that research will have more significant policy relevance concerning progressive changes in human rights both in a local and a European context.

Work package 7. Structuring PER in Higher Education through research with CSOs in curricular activities and partnerships with local municipalities

The overall aim of this work package is to strengthen the position of Science Shops and similar PER initiatives in Higher Education policy, to secure longer term security for such initiatives.

Work package 8. Advancing PER through support from Research Councils for research of CSOs with Research Institutes

The main objective of this WP is to get a better understanding of how Research Councils in Europe can support PER through funding science shops and/or joint research projects with CSOs.

Work package 9. Monitoring and evaluation of PER through science shops and variants and knowledge debates

This work package has the following objectives: to develop a set of indicators to evaluate influences of CSO and public participation in the development of scientific knowledge with reference to specific projects and actions. To make available guidelines and replicable instruments and practices for such evaluation, based on the indicators mentioned above.To be a resource for the project partners and individual work packages in their self-evaluation exercises. To initiate the development of a framework for evaluation of the economic role of science shops and to independently evaluate the progress made in achieving the objectives of PERARES regarding Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society.

Work package 10. 5th Living Knowledge Conference 2012 in Bonn

To organise a conference with about 350 participants that will be a platform for exchange, disseminate and evaluate results and findings of the first half of the project and to review and update PERARES (and other participants’) PER action plans.
Also a platform for developing policy recommendations regarding PERARES work and PER in general and for creating a strong link to other networks (such as EUSCEA, ECSITE, Netzwerk Zu-kunftsforschung etc.) and continuing the cooperation within the Global Alliance on Community Engaged Research (GACER).

Work package 11. 6th Living Knowledge Conference in 2014 in Copenhagen

To exchange, disseminate and evaluate results and findings of PERARES concerning: National Debates for Structuring Public Engagement with Research, debate labs as platform for CSOs to exchange knowledge, how to support new Science Shop initiatives, PER’s in research about domestic violence, local Human Rights and other themes developed and discussed in the online debates and debate labs, to enhance scientists’ and policy makers’ awareness about and capacity to work with CSOs, to exchange concepts and tools for community based and participatory action research.

Work package 12. Dissemination

Inform stakeholders, facilitate -by integrating interactive elements to the website- the organisation of regular Transnational Knowledge Debate sessions, improve the sharing of and access to relevant knowledge, expertise and information regarding public engagement in research, develop communication tools to support the internal network and project activities.