Educating the public on biofilms
Public Engagement (dialoguing with the public about our research) and Outreach (raising science aspirations of children) about biofilms are extremely important activities to maximise the impact of NBIC, and for society to gain an understanding of what biofilms are and how they relate to daily life.
NBIC has a Public Engagement and Outreach Officer, and a committee in place to support these activities. We have conducted a wide range of activities across the UK, which have included; biofilm dances, biofilms in a train station, biofilm workshops at IKEA, and the ‘Secret Lives of Biofilms’ stand at both Science in the Park, and the Festival of Science and Curiosity in Nottingham.
We want to reach the public with an active interest in biofilms-related topics (including home, hygiene and healthcare), inspire young people, and support everybody in NBIC with undertaking these activities.
We are continuously developing appropriate resources for wider use, and are leading and inspiring projects, for instance through our dedicated grant scheme, which offers up to £3000 for public engagement or outreach projects. Any NBIC affiliated individual/group can apply for this funding online, and they can also seek guidance and support directly from NBIC’s Public Engagement and Outreach Officer (Jean-Christophe Denis) for their own projects.
