Report on the second edition of the scientific outreach forum

The second edition of the scientific outreach forum, held on June 7, was a unique opportunity to find out about the Institut Pasteur's scientific outreach initiatives. The aim of the forum is to bring together those already involved in scientific outreach and those keen to learn more and get stuck in, and to create a network of Institut Pasteur staff with an interest in the topic.

Several initiatives were presented during the event:

 

ANR "Science with and for society" grant (ANR SAPS-CSTI call for proposals)

Guillaume Dumenil, Director of the Department of Cell Biology and Infection, spoke about the ANR's "Science with and for society" (SAPS-CSTI) grant, designed to provide support for communication, outreach and development initiatives related to ANR-funded research projects. It offers guaranteed minimum funding of €2,500 for each eligible project. As the Institut Pasteur was successful in the ANR's first two calls for proposals, it now has a dedicated source of funding to support projects on campus.

To find out more or submit a request for funding, contact Guillaume Dumenil (guillaume.dumenil@pasteur.fr).

 

 Presentation of the Pasteur Museum renovation project by Laurence Isnard, Head of the Pasteur Museum

In 2022, the Institut Pasteur embarked on a project to restore and renovate the historical building that houses the Pasteur Museum, which was established in 1936. The building was listed as a historical monument in 1981 and recognized under the "Maisons des Illustres" scheme in 2012. In connection with the renovation project, the decision was taken to give the museum itself a makeover, while preserving and showcasing its historical and heritage value, by developing new exhibition and scientific outreach spaces that will be open to the public. When the museum reopens in 2028, the aim is to raise awareness of the Institut Pasteur's historical and scientific heritage and to foster an enlightened, constructive dialog between science and society.
Laurence Isnard presented the main aspects of the scientific and cultural plans for the future museum to participants at the forum. To see the slide show of her presentation, join the dedicated scientific outreach team on Teams via this link.

To find out more about the project, contact Laurence Isnard (laurence.isnard@pasteur.fr).

 

To follow the latest museum news or get involved in the project, sign up via this link.

 

"How to make science accessible to the public," address by Pierre Kerner

Pierre Kerner, a scientist at the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris, blogger and host of scientific podcasts, shared his experience of scientific outreach, offering advice on the best ways to make science accessible to the public via various channels. To see the slide show of his presentation, join the dedicated scientific outreach team on Teams via this link.

 

"Graphic explorations of the living world" – scientific images and design workshop, by Timothée Bruel, Elric Esposito and Zoé Tracq

Timothée Bruel, Elric Esposito and Zoé Tracq presented the project "Graphic explorations of the living world," a collaboration between the Institut Pasteur's scientists and design students from François Mansart high school enrolled in the DNMADe (National Diploma in Fine Arts, Crafts and Design) for eco-friendly design. The project shines a light on the dialog between art and science, offering a new perspective on microscopic images of the living world. The students worked with scientific images obtained using various techniques that were presented to them during a day-long visit to the Institut Pasteur.

They reinterpreted the scientific images to reveal their sensory dimensions, turning them into vector paths printed with a plotter (a special printer to print line graphs). An exhibition of the works and a plotter were presented at the forum.

StaPa also attended the event and spoke about its workshop entitled "Filming and editing using your smartphone."

This second forum illustrated the remarkable diversity of scientific outreach initiatives at the Institut Pasteur and encouraged discussion and collaboration among participants.