The Institute of Physics is a scientific membership organisation devoted to increasing the understanding and application of physics. It has an extensive worldwide membership (currently over 34,000) and is a leading communicator of physics with all audiences from specialists through government to the general public. The Institute believes in and promotes ethical integrity in all scientific activity, including education, research, publication and the exploitation of knowledge. Its publishing company, Institute of Physics Publishing, is a world leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dissemination of physics.

  The Institute welcomes the opportunity to respond to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee's Inquiry into the "funding of science and discovery centres".

  In recent years, the Institute has worked with many science centres both directly and through Ecsite-UK (the network of science and discovery centres) to help deliver our public engagement with physics programmes, which aim to increase the awareness of physics and inspire those who would not otherwise engage with the subject. In particular, we recognise that science centres can play a vital role in mediating between physicists and the public, act as "regional activity hubs", and provide alternative experiences of physics that can inspire and engage both children and adults alike.

  Working with the science centres and Ecsite-UK has allowed us to expand the reach of our programmes and increase the sustainability of our activities. For example, in conjunction with Ecsite-UK, we have developed a training workshop for our members aimed at developing the skills and confidence of physicists who plan to communicate their work to the public. By delivering this workshop at science centres across the country, we have been able to reach physicists who would have been unable to attend a London-based event and expanded the pool of physicists who have the skills to engage with the public, including school children, and act as positive role models. So far this year, 70 physicists have participated in the workshops and more are planned.

  As well as providing venues for networking and sharing expertise, science centres provide physicists with "safe" opportunities to engage with the public, for example, through expert contributions to exhibitions. Both "Move Over Einstein", which toured the UK throughout 2005, and "Big Bang", currently at the Science Museum before touring nationally, were dependent on the knowledge and input of physicists. In addition, the exhibitions provide a valuable opportunity for non-scientists of all ages to learn about cutting edge research in an accessible way. Exhibitions of this kind and related activities, such as talks, discussions and workshops, also contribute towards broadening the expectations that young people may have about life as a physicist and show that physics is a subject that has far reaching influence throughout society.

  However, the current funding model, which requires science centres to attract external sponsorship, may lead to a lack of balance between subject areas, as well as an undue concentration on particular sections of the population, as a consequence of agendas being driven by the particular needs of sponsors. This can lead to a very narrow definition of "public engagement" and missed opportunities to reach wider audiences and increase the scientific literacy of the population at large. It also means that some topics, such as dinosaurs, are continually on show whereas other topics which require much more effort to make them accessible, such as cosmology, are sidelined.

  High quality and effective public engagement is labour intensive and can therefore be relatively costly, but with proper resourcing, science centres could play an even greater role in communicating complex contemporary physics to members of the public of all ages and backgrounds and increasing the scientific literacy of our society. In addition, the importance of Ecsite-UK's role in linking external organisations to science centres, sharing knowledge about the sector and developing partnerships should not be undervalued.

June 2007