Project Proposals - Main Guidelines

Bruna was very kind to give us an idea about how the Project Proposals should look like. Below there is a rough outline

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- Project title

- Abstract: the project summary should answer in a clear and simple way the relevance of the project (why), the project objectives (what) and the project implementation (how)

- Relevance of the project: justify the necessity and relevance of the proposed activities

- Target public: who are the addressees of the proposed project?

- Objectives of the project: specify the objectives to be achieved with this project

- Implementation: specify how the proposed project will be implemented (phases) to achieve the objectives, the personnel involved in the different phases, resources required, etc. (a gantt chart might be useful, see template attached, this template should be simplified for smaller projects)

- Dissemination: how do you plan to disseminate the proposed project? Press releases, distribution lists, ads (where), web sites or thematic portals etc.

- Budget: give details and justification for the budget required to achieve the objectives of the project: personnel (profiles and time), external resources, material, dissemination costs, etc.

- Timetable: it should include the different phases of the project, including preparation, duration of project itself, follow-up etc. When it’s a series of events, the periodicity should be indicated

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Interview project

Hi,
so the idea is to make intervies with leading scienctists in Europe, mainly for the sake of having video footage of them. This project is scalable, meaning we can start with the scientists of the CRG (prbb, Barcelona, Cataluna, Spain...) of course, depening on the funding body.
Basically, we would need:

1. A selection of scientists to interview
2. An interviewer (I suggest Uli, since she has got TV experience).
3. A set of questions to ask (along the lines: where do you come from, what do you do, where do you go)
4. A camera, cameraman, bluescreen, cutter
5. A platform to broadcast, also depending on who we are interviewing
6. People watching the interviews and deciding to do science/ come to the CRG/ join the group of the interviewed scientist,..

How to implement:
1. Wait for Bruna to send around a sample paper in form of executive report
2. Do detailed planing with people who are interested in joining the project
3. Bring all that in written form
4. Hand paper to administration and make them organize the money.

Sense about Science

Sense About Science- what I was gibbering on about…….

What:

Sense About Science (SaS) is a charity organisation set up in the UK to help the public understand the scientific issues that important to them in their lives.

http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php

Who:

SaS was set up by scientists early in their careers who were tired of the way science and the people who work were and are portrayed by the media. Run by a staff based in London and volunteers all over the UK who write articles, attend events etc. As well as a huge email list of scientists who are available (If required to answer questions on there expertise).

What:

SaS activities stretch to any project which covers the main aim of the organisation. One of the most important roles is to build bridges with the media and provide a mediator between “honest” journalists ( I know-really!!!!) and scientists, so that the journalists can get quotes and information from people who actually know what they are talking about and not some dodgy maverick. Other projects include:

Spots:

Just tabs on the website with articles explaining issues which the public are interested in ie GM, stem cells, peer review (what is it!), energy, MMR, detox etc etc.

Voice of Young Science:

This is a day long “ workshop” in which PhD students and Postdocs have a chance to meet up with journalists and other folk from the media to discuss the way in which in which there area of research is portrayed in the media and how as two opposing groups they can work together to paint a more accurate picture for the public. Having attended one of these sessions it can be quite heated at first but overall the day serves both parties well I think. This is something maybe we can do? Locally at first with local papers? Even just say “Hola” first, let them know what we are trying to do.

http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/about/11/

Celebrity and Science:

Was a little project to shame celebrities and their sudo-science claims.

http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/project/132/

There goes the Science bit:

Project against bogus science claims in products.

http://www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/index.php/site/about/11/

Funding:

Yup copied and pasted from the website! I’m not writing all that out, but just to give you an idea. The ABPI, AstraZeneca plc, BBSRC, The Biochemical Society, Blackwell Publishing, BP plc, British Institute of Radiology, Dixons Group plc, Elsevier, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Garfield Weston, GE Healthcare, GlaxoSmithKline, Halifax Bank of Scotland, Health and Science Communication Trust, Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine, John Innes Centre, John Innes Trust, Medical Research Council, NESTA, New Scientist, Oxford GlycoSciences plc, Pfizer plc, The Physiological Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Astronomical Society, Royal College of Radiology, Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, Royal Society of Chemistry, Science Careers.org, Social Issues Research Centre, The Society for Applied Microbiology, The Society for Endocrinology, The Society for General Microbiology, Unilever plc. Help with equipment, facilities and services has been received from: AXA Investment Management, Horticultural Research International, Institute of Biology, The Natural History Museum, Lord Stevenson of Coddenham, and WPP.

Where:

Ahhh in the UK, we could have it translated into Spanish and Catalan for the Spanish public? Maybe? Or have a wee Barcelona franchise SaS? I will email as talk to them about it if everyone is ok with that? And see how we can maybe work together.

That’s me I think……. See you in the bar next week…Roni

Weekly Meeting (14/02/2008)

2008-02-14 Science and society:



I. Participants: the ones present at the date in bold


Antoine Graindorge antoine.graindorge@crg.e

Bruna Vives bruna.vives@crg.es

Frank Herrmann frank.herrmann@crg.es

Isabel Peset isabel.peset@crg.es

Marija Mihailovic marija.mihailovic@crg.es

Michela Bertero michela.bertero@crg.es

Roser Pinyol roser.pinyol@crg.es

Roser Zaurin roser.zaurin@crg.es

Solenn Patalano solenn.patalano@crg.es

Tobias Maier tobias.maier@crg.e

Ulrike Brandt-Bohne (Uli) ulrike.brandt-bohne@crg.es

Gloria Lligadas Peñarrubia gloria.lligadas@crg.es



II. Projects


Since I was not present the first meetings I can only suggest that you please list here the projects proposed by now and maybe add a short summary at the end or as an extra document. Thanks.


Project 1. Isabel Peset + Solenn Patalano …. Videoclip

Project 2. Tobias Maier …. Interview

Project 3. xxx…Science Café

…..



III. Discussed topics


1 Planned project by the CRG: (Gloria Lligadas Peñarrubia)


1.1 web page (linked to the existing CRG page)


- could be a platform to present specific proposed activities (proposed by participants at S&S meeting, e.g. short movies, interviews, blogs…)

- this page is not yet set up – still in the planning period (!) – application for fundings on to do list


- in the context of this page a cooperation with a scientific journalist exists: Luis Angel ( Writer/author of booklet about the CRG)


1.2 Planned activity for students (age 17-18) to visit the CRG: (Gloria Lligadas Peñarrubia)


background: an activity organized by the Sociedad Catalana de Biología has already taken place in December 2007 (ask Uli for more details), meaning that a bulge of students came to see us in our lab and we explained our research and showed them the experimental procedures necessary for data collection. This was done to show the kids what science means, to explain what kind of profession you can exert here, what possibilities you have, fundings… and we just talked about our CV and experience.


News: `visiting the lab´ activities will now be planned by the CRG directly.

Gloria:

- will inform the group leaders ask for their interest in participating at this activity

- will, according to the feedback, set up a timetable for such activities



2 Proposal form


…for possible future activities (suggestion Gloria Lligadas Peñarrubia and Bruna Vives, brainstorm all of us)


- no lack of ideas, but rather a lack of budget supporting the planned projects

- in order to ask for fundings a proper proposal form needs to be set up

- kind of `universal´ proposal form possible to make life much easier?

- therefore: we have to think about the necessary content of this form

- drafts for a project proposal form should be done by each of us – so we can decide in the next meeting which points are essential and which ones are not..


As we all are scientists it is like planning an experiment, isn´t it?


 Possible proposal form should include: (!?)

*

project name
*

project idea (summary)
*

`significance´ of the project: Why you do it and why you think it could be of interest for others
*

Promotion: how will people know about the planned activity?
*

`experimental´ procedures: meaning the course of action
o

Time you need for the work
o

People included
o

Material – list of material
o

Etc.
*

cost estimate/budget: Costs for personal, material, promotion…
*

justification/outlook? E.g. why you plan to present your project at a specific place…., the proposed project could be a serial event


3 new timetable for Science and Society meeting?


- it was proposed to move the time and location of the Science and Society meetings to the evening and a bar. No desition has yet been taken.



III. Next Science and Society meeting


 Thursday 21.02.2008, 13.30 hours , altillo sud, 5th floor