4. Staffing a science shop
4.1What is the job description of a university-based science shop coordinator
4.2 What are typical office sizes and task distributions for science shop staff?
4.3 Can students run a science shop?
To the general overview of
Frequently Asked Questions
4.1 What is the job description of a university-based science shop coordinator?
There isn't a single job description. The main
activity of a university-based science shop coordinator
is related to the mediation process (see FAQ
1.2). In general it is important a coordinator has
good communication skills, understanding of
processes in scientific research and a good
network in the university and in the community.
Examples of job descriptions will be available
soon.
4.2 What are typical office sizes and task distributions for science shop staff?
As there is not a typical structure for science shops there isn't a typical office size either. From experiences it can be learned that there should be at least one (part- time) person with a formal appointment to run a science shop. This will allow the science shop to build structural relations and a network. SCIPAS report 1 (Science Shops Operational Options) gives an overview of organisational issues of science shops. In general science shops start as small units with 1 or 2 staff members. The total number of staff highly depends on the tasks of a science shop (e.g. mediation only, or mediation and research, or mediation, research and education).
4.3 Can students run a science shop?
Yes, they can.
At the science shops of the Technical
University of Eindhoven they are the only ones
involved, there is no paid staff. The students share
some "units" of "teaching assistant"
(e.g. in total 40 hours per week are paid as an
assistant teacher), which is used to compensate
webmaster, chair, team leader, treasurer etc. Other
students involved can get a few credits for their
organisational work (like 3 ECTS during their BSc
phase). The science shops have some budget for their
work, but depend largely on networking to get things
done. The team of the Chemistry Shop Eindhoven consists
of 20-30 students that work on projects. These projects
are usually very applied and short. Also, the science
shop works for individual person's requests.
The Science Shop of the University
of Oslo is also a student run science shop In other
science shops, students can be appointed to do part of
the work, as part-time employee.
At the Science Shop of Tilburg
University there are four students, each one
mediates research to one faculty; they are supervised by
paid staff.
Also in Romania master students can have a side-job
working in a science shop.
