Dr Ann Grand

Ann Grand is an Associate Lecturer with the Science Communication Unit (SCU). She led the development of the SCU’s online course Science communication: people, projects, events and continues to contribute to it.

Research, practice and projects

Ann carried out her PhD research in the Science Communication Unit, UWE, under the supervision of Professor Alan Winfield, Dr Karen Bultitude and Dr Clare Wilkinson. The studentship was funded by a Doctoral Training Grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Her research focussed on how the emerging ideas and practice of open science can be a medium for public access to and involvement in the process of science and an innovative method for real-time science communication. Ann continues to be interested in research into public engagement with science through online and digital engagement routes.

Ann has more than ten years’ experience in informal science communication, as the volunteer web host for the national and international café scientifique network. Through the website, she support and mentors new and existing volunteer café organisers around the world. Ann recently told the story of Café Scientifique at TedX UoN. Watch the video of Ann's talk.

Ann has contributed to evaluations carried out by the SCU, including (with Dr Margarida Sardo) two evaluations of the Wellcome Trust strand at the Latitude Festival, the 2012 Science for Environment Policy service evaluation, the evaluation of the Continuous Loop project for the Royal Academy of Engineering and evaluations for the Physiological Society of their grant-funded outreach projects. In 2015, she worked with Dr Erik Stengler and Dr Mark Steer on the Avalon Marshes project. With colleagues from the SCU (Margarida Sardo, Laura Fogg Rogers and Jane Wooster) she co-organised the 2015 Science in Public international conference, held at UWE Bristol in July 2015.

Teaching

Ann led the development of the SCU’s online course Science communication: people, projects, events and currently contributes to two units: facilitation and project planning and management.

Publication, dissemination and impact

Ann has published in journals including PLOS One, Science Communication, Public Understanding of Science, Journal of Science Communication and Science Progress. She contributed chapters to Practising Science Communication in the Information Age (2009), edited by R. Holliman et al. and to the Springer Encyclopædia of Science Education (2012). She has contributed a chapter (Having it all: ownership in open science) to the forthcoming book Silences of Science, which is expected to be published in 2016 by Ashgate Publishing.

Ann has presented at many national and international conferences, including the biennial International Public Communication of Science and Technology conference (PCST) in 2010, 2012 and 2016, the European Association for studies in Science and Technology (2010 and 2014) Science Online London, Science in Public, the 8th Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation, the Strand Symposium on Public Engagement and the International Public Science Events conference.

Ann is a reviewer for PLOS One, Social Studies of Science, Science Communication, Public Understanding of Science, International Journal of Science Education Part B, Studies in Media and Communication, British Journal of Educational Technology and the Wellcome Trust.

Further information