Researchers spend a lot of time teaching students in universities, but how many venture into secondary schools? Thanks to the Researchers in Residence programme, more than 3,500 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in Britain have been placed in more than 2,000 secondary schools across the country since the programme began in 1995. They have worked with some 400,000 pupils between the ages of 11 and 18.

Funded by Research Councils UK and the Wellcome Trust, the project aims to inspire secondary-school students by showing them how science can have an impact on people's lives.

It has benefits for researchers as well, such as improving their communication skills. Although many past participants have remained in academic research, they now try to include more public outreach activities in their work. Others can be found in the world of science communication including publishing, the media, hands-on activity centres and museums. Some have gone on to train as school teachers.

Once recruited, researchers discuss with the host teachers how they can contribute to the classroom, making each experience unique. But certain activities have proved popular over the years, such as giving presentations about their research and the latest developments in their particular field, helping out with laboratory exercises and hosting visits to their research facilities.

Although the researchers are not acting as teachers, they do usually end up doing some teaching. But their decision to teach a lesson is entirely their own. Many start by giving talks about their research, often accompanied by a demonstration and/or an activity for the students to carry out. Often, this leads to teaching a lesson. Researchers typically spend about a day and a half per week doing these activities for an agreed period of time, usually an academic year but sometimes longer.

Since the publication in 2002 of a major review of the British science, engineering and technology workforce, researchers face new requirements for skills training, including communication skills. And with growing pressure from UK research councils on scientists to engage in more public outreach, the Researchers in Residence programme is a good way for young scientists to get started on this skill development. For more information, e-mail: m.m.brodie@shu.ac.uk.