Recommendations for "Societal Integration and Public Engagement in Science"

4. Align Public Engagement Activities with Societal and Scientific Demands

Actions for RPOs & Institutional Support officers

Avoid box-ticking and instrumental exercises of legitimization in public engagement efforts. Dissemination, dialogue and engagement efforts should be justified by their relevance for research, society, and democracy.
Focus engagement efforts towards areas where public desire to engage is high and areas in which democratic or scientific gains are especially promising. Public engagement is a finite resource, and public and researcher interest differs across topics
Prioritize both scientific and societal concerns and needs when developing public outreach and engagement activities
Clearly differentiate between public engagement goals and public relation efforts, to avoid instrumentalizing engagement

Ensure that the aims and demands of public engagement are transparent and avoid creating expectations that cannot or will not be fulfilled
Ensure that inclusion of the public is open to different perspectives and demands. Do not mistake critique for anti-scientific sentiments
Be open to public concerns and priorities both when designing, performing, disseminating, and discussing research
Be aware that engagement efforts are sensitive to both scientific and societal interests and respect that engagement and participation provides resources for science
Be honest about the aims of engagement and the expectations of participants

Differentiate efforts and demands across areas of research to align with scientific and societal needs
Dissemination, dialogue and engagement efforts should be justified by their relevance for both research, society, and democracy
Work for public outreach and facilitate dissemination, discussion, and engagement with the general public, prioritizing both scientific and societal discussions
Provide guidance and guidelines for researchers who apply for and receive funding for public engagement

When setting the research agenda, be mindful of and open to public concerns and priorities. Be careful in managing public, political, and scientific agendas, but be open to all three
Work to harmonize guidelines and support activities and networks facilitating and promoting public engagement activities
Work to ensure that the science-related demands and concerns of society are well-represented and facilitate discussion and understanding of these

Continue integrating societal concerns and demands across all areas of research, while simultaneously advancing targeted research and policy in public engagement with science
Work to further improve the level and responsiveness of public engagement in European research projects, being mindful of pitfalls around tokenism or box- ticking behaviour
Further discussions among policymakers, researchers, and the public on the forms and extent of public engagement that they prefer, to ensure that engagement reaches its potential in the areas in which it is the most effective