A day in the life of a Scientist

This video project shows science enthusiasts what a typical day in the life of a working scientist looks like. Scientists from participating universities are given Go Pro cameras to help them capture a realistic day in the life video, which are later edited and compiled for youtube publication (see resources tab).

The primary goal of this project is to fill the void left by the pandemic on career expo days. As face-to-face events have become more limited, this project offers new ways of bringing science career information to a wider audience with accessible, lively, and entertaining videos. The videos provide insight into the everyday life of a professional scientist, showing the range of activities that scientists may be engaged in, not just the stereotypical images of laboratory work. The intention is to drive online traffic towards SFI resources and universities in order to promote an interest in scientific learning.

Science Foundation Ireland; SSPC; The Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI); Trinity College Dublin; University College Cork; Dublin City University; University of Limerick

The first Day in the Life of a Scientist video was published on YouTube on November 4th, 2021 and has received 11,488 views. Five more videos depicting scientists from all over Ireland are in the process of being produced and launched. Moving forward, through the help of SFI, the project will be rolled out to every research centre across Ireland through the diverse HEI communications network. Following the success of the videos in primary schools has, we are working with Twinkl to co-create a suite of resources to accompany the videos so that they are pedagogically useful in primary school classrooms. We are also working with SFI to broaden the scope of the videos and bring the project to other research centres. This would enable a diverse range of scientists to capture their own work and to create an associated suite of resources turning them into a powerful classroom teaching and learning tool.