Public engagement case studies

Examples of public engagement at Plymouth
Large Group of People Listening to a PresentationDefocused shot of crowd in the lecture hall. Purposely blurred with a lens.

The University of Plymouth continues its commitment to engaging the public with its research. Here you can find some of the ways our researchers have worked to engaged with the public, share specific research findings, and help the public to benefit from the research being done at the University.

Examples of Public Engagement at Plymouth

Big planets and shining stars galaxy in space - stock photo
FUTURES: Festival of discovery
Funded by UK Research and Innovation, FUTURES brings research to life by giving you the opportunity to get creative, ask questions and try new things.
Citizens Advice report launch 2023 (1289x720)
Report reveals growing crisis for renters in Devon and Cornwall
Dr Nigel Jackson produced this research with funding from the Get Involved Awards.
Aerial view of Plymouth Sound
Green Minds
Urban Innovation Action project.
Professor James Daybell and Dr Sam Willis 'Histories of the Unexpected' book
Histories of the Unexpected podcast
Everything – even the most unexpected of subjects – has a history, and also that those histories link together in unexpected, and often rather magical, ways.
South West map, Plymouth
Katharine Willis write up of Community Buddies project
The Community Buddy programme, creating meaningful science engagement projects and long-lasting relationships between communities and researchers.
Digital park in the sea
Digital Seascapes
A co-design approach to identify new ways for communities to engage with the sea as a public space.
Futures2021 festival of discovery.Held as part of European Researchers Night, a range of events featuring academics from the University of Plymouth.Seas the Day (National Marine Aquarium) – world-leading experts from University of Plymouth’s Marine Institute will explore one of the global challenges facing our planet – how to protect our seas – through a range of talks and family activities.
Explore Awards
The Explore Awards aim to assist researchers, with priority for Early Career Researchers, in a range of ways to support their public engagement with research.
2023 Get Involved Awards 
Get Involved Awards
Community groups, charities and social enterprises can apply to work with University of Plymouth’s researchers, to better understand a problem in their local area and to gain valuable insights.
U3A BRIC tour
BRIC Public & Patient Engagement & Involvement in Research
Maintaining active links with the community through running events such as group visits and tours, talks by researchers, and work experience for students.

VC Awards – Civic and Public Engagement Winner 2023

Ian Sherriff BEM, Dr Kate Turner and Dr Alison Warren, Dementia Research Team, Faculty of Health
Ian Sherriff, Dr Kate Turner and Dr Alison Warren in collaboration with key stakeholders in the United Kingdom have contributed to guidance to support people living with dementia to travel by air. The research informed recommendations are of importance to airports, airlines and policy makers to enhance the travel experience of people with non-visible disabilities and their travel companions. A working group, the Prime Minister’s Dementia Group for Air Transport, was formed in 2015 and brought together people living with dementia, their carers, dementia ambassadors, passenger experience consultants, cabin crew trainers, hidden disability advocates and others to share best practice and influence the air travel chain experience.
The outputs from the working group and research have informed best practice at key airports in the UK with growing interest further afield.
Ian Sherrif and dementia research team posing with the VC and their VC award
Representatives from the University are presented with their award by broadcaster and author Sandi Toksvig