Would you like to help shape how the public engages with research into history of science, technology and medicine (HSTM)? Do you want to gain experience directing grants and awarding prizes for a range of outreach and engagement activities?

The BSHS is looking for a Chair and two new members to join the Outreach and Engagement Committee (OEC). These positions are voluntary. In particular we are seeking members with experience in any of:

• Digital engagement
• Visitor research and evaluation in the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museum (GLAM) or university sector
• Delivering HSTM engagement and outreach to broad audiences

The OEC coordinates and directs the Society’s efforts to promote the understanding of the history of science, technology and medicine in a wide range of contexts, both formal and informal. We do this through public events, supporting researchers to work with museums, festivals and schools, and through the provision of grants and awards. We oversee the following activities:

• BSHS Ayrton Prize – recognises outstanding web projects and digital engagement
• BSHS Hughes Prize – awarded every two years to the best book in the history of science published in English which is accessible to a wide audience of non-specialists
• BSHS Engagement Fellowships – funds the placement of a postgraduate student with heritage organisations and contributes towards costs of public engagement outputs related to the research undertaken
• BSHS Exhibiting Excellence Prize – recognises excellence in public exhibitions that address topics in HSTM
• OEC Project Grants – awarded three times a year to support engagement and outreach projects in HSTM

Recent successful applications for funding and awards have included:

• a writing competition for schools on women in science
• an online resource guide to the history of Muslim perspectives on evolution
• re-framing botanical artefacts from sixteenth-century West Indies in partnership with contemporary West Indian communities (at Bristol Museum)
• a new display on the history of climate change in the Arctic (at the Polar Museum, Cambridge)
• development of a Queering the Science Museum tour

The committee also works to foster relationships between universities, museums and other institutions concerned with public engagement. You can find out more about the OEC here.

The role of the Chair is to provide leadership and direction to the OEC. The main responsibilities of the Chair are:

• Championing the work of OEC among stakeholders in the academic, heritage and education sector
• Supporting the OEC in delivering Prizes, Grants and Fellowships
• Chairing and facilitating board meetings (three times a year)
• Reporting on OEC activities and contributing to BSHS Council Meetings (three times a year)
• Liaising with the BSHS Chair, Treasurer and Executive Secretary to manage and deliver funds

Ideal candidates for the Chair and Committee roles would:

• have experience of HSTM as a scholarly discipline at undergraduate or postgraduate level or in a professional capacity (school outreach, public engagement or social media officer positions in a university, heritage organisation or learned society)
• have experience of engaging audiences with HSTM research (on either a voluntary or professional basis)
• be passionate about communicating HSTM to a wide range of audiences and be interested in developing engagement with the discipline more broadly

Responsibilities for Chair and Committee members:

• three meetings a year (currently virtual). The BSHS covers travel within the UK to in-person meetings.
• contribute to meetings, discussions over email and review applications for grants and prizes
• have a term of up to three years

Depending on the candidate’s interests and expertise the role might include taking on specific responsibilities such as:

• providing advice and support on best practice to OEC grant holders
• leading BSHS prize competitions, such as the BSHS Ayrton Prize for digital engagement
• developing new forums or techniques for the BSHS to reach under-represented audiences

The above should be read as suggestions, above all we are looking to recruit individuals with enthusiasm and imagination. In line with the Society’s aim to understand the past we seek to recognise and account for injustices and not to perpetuate them. We therefore particularly welcome expressions of interest from groups who are underrepresented in academia due to gender identity, ethnicity, disability, or other protected characteristics.

If you are interested in joining a lively, friendly committee, please email OEC Chair Rachel Boon (outreach@bshs.org.uk) with a statement covering the following questions (maximum 500 words each) by 31 October 2022:

• What is your experience of delivering and/or developing engagement with HSTM?
• Which potential publics for HSTM research do you think the BSHS could engage with better and how?

Please specify whether you are interested in the Chair and/or committee member role.

Please contact Rachel Boon (outreach@bshs.org.uk) if you have any further questions about the role.