RESULTS FROM IMPACT ASSESSMENT ON SOCIETY AND SCIENTISTS OF FRASCATI SCIENZA EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS’ NIGHTS IN YEARS 2006 – 2015
The aim of this paper is to present the impact achieved by Frascati Scienza Association on society and research through the European Researchers' Night project funded by the European Commission within the years 2006-2015. The project has been devoted to raise awareness of researchers' work, encourage the dialogue between researchers and citizens and the choice of young people to pursue a career in science. The first scientific activities and cultural events took shape in 2006, under the coordination of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), through the European Researchers' Night project, the most important and significant event to promote the role of the researcher and bring people of all ages closer to the scientific world. The positive and successful experience of the first two events, pushed the researchers and citizens of Frascati, where most of Italian research centers and infrastructures are located, to formally associate in the Frascati Scienza in 2008, who started to coordinate the event from 2008. Frascati Scienza was driven by the need to promote educational activities to citizens, young people and schools, in order to involve the general public in science and to bring researchers closer to society.