Examining the perceived value of a prestigious science engagement award: views of applicants, finalists, and awardees

Recent public engagement with science (PES) scholarship has discussed the importance of designing and implementing extrinsic reward systems to recognize the scientists involved in PES work and potentially induce further engagement. This study examines the perceptions of the applicants, finalists, and awardees of a prestigious PES award. Although the award is perceived highly by all three groups, we found that it only has major impacts on the careers and PES work of those who had actually won it. Upon winning, the awardees experience internal and external validation in the form of increased confidence, recognition from others, and further PES and career opportunities that would not have been available to them otherwise. The rest of the applicants perceived no direct or indirect benefits from applying to the award. Our results suggest that more sustainable and far-reaching reward systems should be designed in order to support and reward more publicly engaged scientists.