How to include public engagement in your URSS project

Introduction

The Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS) enables undergraduate students - including finalists - to carry out a summer research over the summer vacation. It's a great opportunity to lead your own project. The URSS helps develop valuable transferable skills, try out real life research, enhance your CV and career prospects, as well as building your confidence.

Applicants must get the support of a supervisor and can apply for a URSS bursary to undertake a research project, either in the UK or abroad, for between 6-10 weeks. Please check the main Student Opportunity URSS webpagesLink opens in a new window for the most up-to-date information on bursary amounts, eligibility and project length, as this may change from year to year.

Learn more about about public engagement

Workshop: Introduction to Public Engagement (online)

12.30pm-3.30pm, Tuesday 9 June

To help you do some high quality public engagement related to your URSS project, we're putting on this special training specifically for students completing a URSS this year (Summer 2026).

This session provides a good foundation for beginners to develop public engagement skills or for those with a bit of experience.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

Explain what public engagement is and why we do it
Identify audiences they would like to engage
Know how to tailor messages to different audiences
Describe different formats public engagement can take

Coming along to this training means you'll have a deeper understanding of Public Engagement when you start your URSS project. You can then keep this in mind as you complete your project. We'll then put on specialist training next term, such as training about how to create hands-on activities based on your research.

This session will be useful if you plan on doing your own Public Engagement or if you'll be getting involved in Warwick Institute of Engagement's Student Showcase event on Saturday 5 December.

Please note that there will be breakout rooms during the training session for exercises and discussions. The first breakroom room will involve working in pairs, in which you will need a pen and paper for this exercise.

Book this training

About your trainer

Sarah Cosgriff (she/they) is a multi-award winning science communicator with a background in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). They have worked in a number of settings, such as education, youth sector, and public engagement. Sarah is an experienced speaker, trainer and consultant and their clients have included businesses, charities, universities, festivals, schools and museums.

What is public engagement?

Public engagement is about talking to people outside of the university about the work that goes on here. That could be something you've learnt on your course, or a piece of research you or someone in your department is working on or has already produced. The idea is to have a two way discussion with the people you choose to engage with, so you make space not only to tell them about the work you're an expert in - but also to give them a platform to share their responses, thoughts and perspectives.

How to include public engagement in your URSS project

Your public engagement could happen alongside your project or take place in the Autumn term if you'd like to complete it after your research project has generated results.

What would a public engagement element look like within a URSS research project?

This depends on the research you're doing. It may be a blog post (or a series) about the research. It could be a set of social media posts (e.g. Twitter, Instagram, TikTok) about your subject, presented in a way that encourages responses. It could be a game, or an event for schools, or a YouTube video, or a collaboration with a community group, or something else. The only limit is your creativity!

Read about examples from previous URSS students here.

In your application, please specify which of the following categories your public engagement will fit under:

Participate in an event led by Warwick Institute of Engagement on Saturday 5 December. For this you might design a table-top activity or engagement stall and we will put on an event in the autumn term that you could participate in. We will support students to prepare for the event through skills masterclasses with external experts, and support or preparation sessions with the event managers. See photos and descriptions of the 2023 event, Resonate Roadshow.
Other live public event, e.g., talk, performance, activity. You or your supervisor might know of an event taking place outside Warwick that you’d like to participate in or know a school or community group who would like to hear your talk.
Online engagement, e.g., podcast, social media, blog. You could ask to post this on your department’s website or Twitter account or you might have your own online presence.
Working with partners, e.g., collaborative research, citizen science, working with policy makers.
Other – please specify. You are welcome to get in touch with Kate at to talk through your ideas if you'd like some advice before applying.

Guides, toolkits and learning resources

Follow the links to learn about each topic:

Blogging
Creating accessible activities
Creating research animations
Elevator pitches
Podcasting
Online engagement

Guides, toolkits and learning resources about public engagement

Click on the circular arrows to see what is in each section, then follow the links to learn more and access useful toolkits.

Click here to view the accessible version of this interactive content

Further support and advice on public engagement

If you are a student or a supervisor looking for further advice or signposting to internal or external contacts regarding public engagement, please contact Kate Laister-Smith at

In Term 1 of 2026/2027, we'll be running URSS Public Engagement Support Sessions. For now, why not book onto the Introduction to Public Engagement Workshop above?

Support for research projects

This webpage is designed to give information and advice on public engagement within URSS, which is supported by the Warwick Institute of Engagement. For information on all other aspects of the URSS scheme, please visit the Student Opportunity URSS webpages and contact .