Think Like A Scientist
Wellcome Trust Application 2019
July 2019
Dr Phil Heron – Durham University
This webpage contains supporting information for the project.
- Think Like A Scientist Wellcome Trust Public Engagement Fund proposal (PDF)
- 200 word summary Think Like A Scientist (PDF)
- Costing – full explanation – ThinkLikeAScientist_SupportingInformation_budget (PDF)
- Evaluation of pilot program – ThinkLikeAScientist_LN2019_HERON
- Ministry of Justice white paper on re-offending – impact-employment-reoffending
- Information on DRC education and high school participation
Work plan for proposal:
The project will be delivered in four sections. Across 20 months, two concurrent UK prison courses in section 1 will be taught by Dr Heron. A podcast will be developed and recorded in section 2, occurring over a 3-month period in conjunction with the Prison Radio Association (featuring syllabus experts).
In section 3, the course will be moved to a men’s facility in France and in section 4 to schools in the DRC. During this 5-month period, section 3 & 4 will be delivered by in collaboration with Champ Libre and Dr Bello, while linking up with representatives in the DRC.
Each UK course will take 10 weeks (with one class each week). The courses in France and the DRC will be two a week (with one class being 5 weeks in total). On guidance of Champ Libre, July and August are the best weeks to teach in French prison as all other educational programs stops. It is a difficult time for the inmates in that regard. For the DRC, the school year starts in October and runs until June.
Publications on the project will occur after month 16 (focussing on UK prison courses) and then in month 23 (after the work in France and DRC). Similar pattern will follow for conference participation.
Preparation time for the French and DRC courses is mostly contingency based – the main work will start a few months before but contacts will be made a year in advance.
Information on the team of collaborators and consultants that will contribute material to the course:
- Dr Léa Bello – Dr Bello is a freelance science communicator who has appeared on the YouTube series, Zeste de Science. Examples of Dr Bello’s science communication can be found here, here, and here.
- Prison Radio Association – an award-winning, prison-based charity that runs National Prison Radio, the world’s first national radio station for prisoners
Prison Radio Association Overview July 2019 (PDF) - Champ Libre – a French charity bringing educational courses into prison, will facilitate the setup of the course in Parisian correctional facilities. Letter of Support Champ Libre
- Dr Hannah King – Criminology academic and Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program educator who will provide advice on on ethical and responsible data collation and support the evaluation of impact of the course.
- Dr Mike Keogh – previous recipient of Wellcome Trust funding. Practicing medical doctor and academic who will provide content and mentorship on health topics.
- Dr Brendan Payne – medical doctor and academic in infection who will provide content and mentorship on health topics.
- Dr Iain McKinnon – academic in Forensic Psychiatry whose research area includes the interface between the criminal justice system and mental health services. Dr McKinnon will provide content and mentorship on health topics.
- Kevin Smith – freelance project management , DRC, who will logistics and operations on the ground to charities and schools.
- Mick Matadi – Executive Director of the “Association congolaise debout et fier” which is an educational centre for Congolese children with disabilities.
- Prof Danielle George – award-winning science communicator, 2018 winner of the Michael Faraday Prize. Prof George has been a long-time collaborator of this project and often provides guest lectures and content.
- Dr Hanna Ruszczyk – academic in the physical and social consequences of natural hazards, who will provide content and mentorship for the course.
- Dr Lindey Cookson – early learning expert who will provide content on teaching methodology.
- Julie Ovington – prison and early education expert who will provide content on teaching methodology.
- Prisoners’ Education Trust – a charity supporting distance learning in prison, will provide guidance to help shape the course to be transferrable to other education programs.
- Dr Marie Bocher – geoscientist and science communicator, co-founder of ‘Did This Really Happen?’.
Information on the course:
www.philheron.com/thinklikeascientist
Examples of Think Like A Scientist dissemination:
Phil Heron 
