An engaging, informative set of software resources which could be used either as stand alone, stem cell information events in Science Centres, museums, libraries and galleries, or as part of wider installations in such locations, aimed at informing large numbers of the public about innovative therapies that will provide new paradigms of medicine in the future. The resources will include

• factual “pages” describing the science and medical implications of stem cell research;
• interactive quizzes and challenges looking at the moral and ethical issues behind the science;
• decision making activities, allowing the public to consider the complex issues arising from the new regenerative medicine technologies.

These will be primarily aimed at the Science Centre visiting public, but, once developed, the resource portfolio will be available to science discussion groups (e.g. Café Scientifique) and as downloads from the internet.

A key aim will be to develop a partnership with Scotland’s Science Centres and other public information spaces. While these organisations each attract significant visitor numbers (average 70,000 per annum), a major challenge to them is to access accurate, engaging content for their exhibition infrastructure. In developing this set of resources, SSCN will work with these Centres to deliver relevant, interesting and informative material to the public providing them with an enriching experience and enabling them to make smarter choices and decisions about their own health.

The production and provision of topical and socially relevant science information and activities, as proposed in this project, sits at the very core of the Science for All agenda recently published by the UK Government and the Smarter Scotland objectives outlined by the Scottish Government. We aim to increase public understanding of an innovative, high profile science topic, in which misunderstanding can lead to over inflated expectation, suspicion, and fear. This affects people’s ability to make reasoned decisions about their own medical needs, and could even cause vulnerable patients to take unsafe risks. Through the provision of expertly reviewed information in engaging and interactive formats, we will equip people with the most topical knowledge enabling them to question developments in this field and differentiate between treatments offering real hope for cures and false claims for therapies which may cause harm and cost significant sums of money.

A further objective will be to build capacity in Scotland’s science engagement community; SSCN has several hundred academic members who are required by their Universities and funding bodies to communicate their research in the public arena. However, the resource to do this is limited. This grant will enable provision of such resource in partnership with science centres and other public spaces. The Network will train its members to prepare material for effective delivery, and where appropriate, be present to support that delivery.