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Spaceport is a Visitor Centre in an historic ferry terminal on the banks of the Mersey which showcases astronomy and space exploration. As a project it combines the research experience and knowledge of LJMU with the tourism credentials of Merseytravel. Merseytravel oversees the Merseyside public transport system, to promote and develop the transport network to meet the region's economic, social and environmental needs. As an attraction, Spaceport regularly exceeds visitor number predictions (currently at 70,000 per year) and brings in excess of £2M p.a. into a regeneration area. The continuing participation of LJMU has ensured that the centre remains up to date with new exhibits that link directly to LJMU's astronomical research and special events featuring LJMU astronomers and others, which are designed to extend its audience (e.g., for amateur astronomers or schools from inner-city areas).
Our high profile astronomy research discoveries in areas of public interest have allowed us to substantially increase the engagement of the public with science. Media appearances have led to a philanthropic donation of £200k to promote our science, the most successful public event series ever in Northern Ireland (engaging around 2000 people), a strategic partnership with Ireland's award winning science education centre W5 (reaching 26,000 people), and a 49% increase in applications to physics based degrees from NI students to UK HEIs. In 2008 we set three simple targets to substantially increase the public awareness of science and physics. The first was to increase our presence in the mass media (print, radio, TV, internet) to promote scientific research, and we have regularly reached audiences in excess of 295,000. The second was to increase the numbers of people attending science talks and events. The third was to substantially increase the application rate of school students to study physics and mathematics degrees. Through our outreach and engagement programme we have met, and surpassed, all of these targets. The impact of our research and our public outreach programme is a quantifiable societal change. Substantially more NI school students are now studying physics at third level UK HEIs.
Impact: Public outreach, education, science engagement, debate and policy development: Inspiring, informing and educating the general public, school children, educators and policy makers by communicating the results of PHYESTA astronomical research through events, movies visits and training. Influencing worldwide policy makers through the stimulation of new debates.
Significance: Improved awareness and knowledge of astronomical discoveries, and the importance of/progress in science in general. Improved teaching, enhanced motivation of school children to pursue science, supported by heightened enthusiasm/knowledge in the wider public.
Beneficiaries: The public, educators and educational organisations, governmental organisations including recreation and tourism, international organisations including the UN.
Reach: Direct interaction with ~100,000 school children and members of the wider UK public over REF period. Engagement with many more worldwide through events, TV programmes, movies, webinars, and press releases/news stories. Direct training of several 100 school teachers, and extended impact through educational resources. Influence on policy development through the UN.
Attribution: PHYESTA astronomers have both led the highly-cited research and have worked directly with outreach staff, educators, and organisations (e.g. Royal Society and STFC) to publicise and promote the impact and relevance of astronomical discoveries.
Space has been identified as an area of economic growth by the UK Government as a direct result of the 2010 Innovation and Growth Strategy (IGS) for Space. This study has resulted in a transformational change with the formation of the UK Space Agency, significantly increased investment and new opportunities. The Unit contributed critically to the IGS and resulting actions by stressing the underpinning nature of academic space research and providing academic lead on key recommendations of the IGS and its subsequent technology plan. The research has also significantly impacted a number of companies increasing their research and development and economic bases e.g. a Leicester based SME Magna Parva Ltd.
Published and grant-awarded research in astrophysics and solar physics at UCLAN has underpinned a very large number of public lectures throughout the world (e.g. Edinburgh Science Festival, Harvard, NASA, IAC Tenerife, Perimeter Institute Canada, University of Cape Town, Astrofest London, etc.) during the impact reporting period 2008-2013, delivered by Professors Gibson, Kurtz, Ward-Thompson, Walsh and the rest of the staff in UoA9. The most prestigious of these have been delivered to large (typically several hundred to a few thousand people) sell-out audiences. Our staff have appeared on TV and radio to audiences of millions. In addition, public outreach events led by astrophysics and solar physics staff members at UCLAN have further increased the societal impact of our research.
The University of Southampton's distinguished body of work on the design of technology for gamma-ray detection and imaging has informed new counter-terrorism practices. Technological advances arising from the research have been crucial to delivering significant benefits in the fields of homeland security and nuclear safety — the latter particularly in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. A spin-out company, Symetrica, currently employs 26 people in the UK and the USA, has a forecast turnover of more than £10 million for 2013-14 and has been recognised as an example of best practice. It is a technological leader in the field of radioactive isotope identification.
Galaxy Zoo (GZ) is among the most successful online citizen science project ever undertaken, relying on hundreds of thousands of volunteers to classify galaxy images. Since 2007, GZ has evolved into a "Zooniverse" of over 20 online projects, engaging nearly a million worldwide volunteers (from a range of ages, backgrounds and education) in scientific research. Most GZ volunteers report being motivated by a desire to contribute to real research, while 87% say their experience has changed their behaviour e.g. more museum visits (34%). For under-18s, 70% were encouraged to study a degree and 47% said GZ helped their schoolwork.
The international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope, due for completion in the next decade, will be the world's largest astronomical instrument. It will be built by international industry at a cost of over €2B. The larger part will be sited in Africa (9 countries) with a complementary part in Australia. The impact to mid-2013 is on: i) international science policy and priorities (€26M); ii) multi-faceted human capacity building in Africa (401 bursaries); iii) business and employment involved in the construction of two large-scale SKA "precursor" instruments in South Africa and Australia (over €150M with 800 jobs in South Africa); iv) the local north-west economy (over €5M) where a new limited company to coordinate the SKA's design and construction has been established at Jodrell Bank.
The Zooniverse citizen science projects, including Galaxy Zoo, have engaged over 856,000 members of the public from 100 countries with astronomy and other areas of research such as nature, health and the humanities. The impacts include increased public awareness and understanding of science and research methods, changes in the attitudes of school children and adults, and benefits to teaching and learning. The Zooniverse engages with large numbers of people through the internet; additional benefits are also delivered through adaptations of the projects for interactive museum exhibits and classroom education. Further impacts include benefits to Cancer Research UK and commercial uptake by Microsoft and the BBC.
To survive and grow in a shrinking UK market, the local engineering company SENAR set out to transform itself from a local company into one capable of winning international contracts. This required the company to make quality improvements, update skills and equipment, and develop relationships with international organizations. LJMU brought its programmes of astronomical research and instrumental development at national and international level into a symbiotic relationship with SENAR, collaborating on design and manufacture of advanced instrumentation and developing new capabilities within the company. It thereby: