Catalyst & Accessing HE STEM

@catalystproj #catalystas

Jon Whittle & Erinma Ochu

Today’s 45 min. workshop

• Insight into Catalyst Approach

• Explore relevance to Access HE Stem

About Catalyst

• 3 year EPSRC-funded interdisciplinary research project

• Understanding behaviour– Why do people participate in civic actions?

• Tools for change– Next generation social tools for social change

• Citizen-led

• Reflect on interdisciplinarity

Lancaster University - disciplines

• Computing

• Sociology

• Management

• Environment

• Design

Citizen-Led

Approach

1. Research Sprints

2. Launch pads

3. Serendipity Cafes

4. Research Relays

Launch pads

Local Trade, Local Wealth: Success in Activist Tweets

Research Sprint: #Patchworks

Project lead: Rod Dillon

Is it possible to co-design, with homeless communities, a simple and cheap health monitoring and communication tool using the methods and materials of ‘personal manufacturing’ (DIY-Bio/garage science)?

Patchworks Video

Benefits & Barriers

Benefits• Up-skilling citizens• New knowledge civic action• New tools to support change

Barriers• Logistics of partnerships • Time/ Financial Cost• Capacity

Relevance to Access HE STEM

Write down on a post it…

• Why this might be relevant

• How it could be applied

• Potential barriers

• Potential solutions

Catalyst Contacts

• @catalystproj– #catalystas

• Catalyst Project

• catalystproject.org.uk

• catalyst@lancaster.ac.uk