Throughout 2024, the University of Bath has collaborated with the Bath Medical Museum to create a Research Roadshow for Doctoral students.

Funded by the University’s Enhancing Research Culture Fund, the scheme has enabled 12 students to develop their research and public engagement skills to articulate their work to an external audience.

Working with local charity Bath Medical Museum, University staff from the Healthy Later Living Network and the Doctoral College devised the project which began with bespoke presentation and engagement training for the student cohort and culminated with a series of talks at the Museum during their public Wellbeing sessions.

The talks focused broadly on Health and Wellbeing, one of the University’s core research themes, with doctoral students from a variety of subject disciplines presenting their work.

Topics ranged from: ‘how Brain Computer Interface technology enhances our life’, ‘innovative chemical engineering approaches to health & wellbeing’, ‘living well with inflammatory arthritis using tools from motivational theory’ to ‘the impact of entrepreneurship on refugees’ wellbeing’, ‘caregiving experiences of family carers of people with schizophrenia’ and ‘developing biosensors for cancer companion diagnostics’.

Irene Prentice, one of the Trustees at the Museum, said: “We at the Bath Medical Museum have benefited from the Research Roadshow by PhD students, and their presentations have enhanced our wellbeing activities. The audience at the roadshow are interested in the latest findings and research, are curious about what goes on at the university with regard to physical and mental health, and overall wellbeing. They ask interesting questions, perhaps not envisaged by the students. They engage with the students; they also give valuable feedback on the students' presentation. 

“The Research Roadshow has drawn positive reactions from those browsing our website.  We have had an inquiry on whether one of the students could present at a conference for 150 people! This is a positive step forward and shows the sort of possible and promising interaction we have with browsers on our website.”

Oli Schofield, Doctoral Skills Manager in the University’s Doctoral College reflected on the project: “This has been an interesting pilot programme, providing doctoral students with a hands-on development opportunity which has clearly had an impact within the community.

“In addition to the skills gained from presenting themselves and the feedback gained from audience members, our doctoral students were also paired up with a buddy. This buddy relationship provided them with mutual peer support and another opportunity for students to receive some constructive feedback. I’m delighted that this project has had enough focus on supporting and developing the students involved, as well as providing them with a platform to disseminate their research with a wider community.”

The video below highlights the experiences of the students and the attendees.

If you represent a museum, charity or organisation and would like to engage with the University and our students about research, please get in touch: email Emily Richards, Head of Strategic Engagement, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences.