Europlanet Evaluation Unit
The Europlanet Evaluation Unit oversees impact evaluation for activities carried out by the Europlanet association and associated projects, including the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) and the Europlanet Transnational Access, mentoring and expert exchange programmes.
We also offer evaluation support and consultancy for external organisations who would like to develop an evaluation framework or implement an impact evaluation of their activities.
Team
Jen DeWitt
Jen DeWitt is a research and evaluation consultant, specialising in STEM learning and engagement, particularly in informal settings. In addition to her consultancy work, Jen has also worked as a senior researcher at King’s College London and at UCL’s Institute of Education. Building on her experience as a member of the research team developing, applying and measuring the concept of science capital, Jen brings an equity lens to both her qualitative and quantitative research. Her broader research and evaluation interests include learning and engagement in early years, families and school groups in informal environments, including the implications of work on science capital for equitable practice in these settings.
Jen has worked with Europlanet since 2017, initially developing an Evaluation Toolkit for public engagement and, since 2020, acting as Impact Evaluation Officer for the Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure (RI) and Europlanet Association.
Jen has supported Europlanet in:
- Defining a robust evaluation framework structured around scientific, technological, training and education, economic and societal impacts. The framework builds on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reference framework for evaluating research infrastructures, as well as reporting requirements from the European Commission.
- Working with the management team and activity leads to define key performance indicators that map onto strategic objectives within the impact areas.
- Creating systematic methods for tracking quantitative metrics (e.g. numbers of users, publications, collaborations, demographic data about project participants).
- Gathering qualitative feedback through open-ended questions in surveys and via interviews.
- Organising and delivering impact evaluation workshops and training sessions.
Anita Heward
Anita Heward has a background in management and science communication, specialising in space and astronomy-related projects. She has been involved in Europlanet programmes since 2005 and has worked as a freelance consultant for organisations including the Royal Astronomical Society and UCL’s Centre for Space Exochemistry Data (CSED). Anita is a Director of the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust and FTP-Europlanet gUG educational company. She is currently Vice President of Europlanet and leads its sustainability and business development programmes.
Since 2020, Anita has worked closely with Jen to embed impact evaluation into Europlanet’s activities by:
- Developing reporting mechanisms for metrics and performance indicators required by the European Commission and other funders.
- Providing a contextual framework for the evaluation in the European and astronomy/space research landscapes.
- Integrating impact evaulation data and case studies into proposals, project reporting and policy briefing documentation.
- Organising and delivering impact evaluation workshops and training sessions.
Sophie Bartlett
Sophie Bartlett is a science education researcher at Cardiff University, an independent evaluator of informal science engagement, and an associate researcher with the Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE). Sophie’s current research explores young people’s educational experiences and outcomes, with a particular focus on the factors that influence their subject choices, attainment, and experiences in science.
Sophie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Astronomy and a PhD in Astronomy and Physics Education. During the latter, she investigated how astronomy can be used as a point of engagement to promote learning experiences in secondary/high school physics.
Since completing her PhD, Sophie has worked on a wide range of national and international science and astronomy education projects, including the Horizon2020 programme ‘Our Space Our Future’ and the Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) and STFC initiative ‘Valuing Inclusion’. At the OAE, she developed an evaluation framework and toolkit to support astronomy education practitioners in assessing the impact of their work and conducted a review of evaluation practices across the astronomy education field.
Sophie can provide support with:
- Developing quantitative metrics to measure attitudes, aspirations, and learning experiences.
- Working with practitioners to align evaluation methods with broader missions and programme objectives.
- Guidance on ethical considerations in the context of working with people and underrepresented groups.
- Discussing evaluation plans and suggestions of creative methods for evaluation that fit different engagement style.
Activities
“Having a dedicated evaluator who had the time and expertise to gather more in-depth feedback meant that we could see how interactions with users developed over time and how the different strands of the project came together and functioned as a whole to support the community.”
Nigel Mason, Coordinator of Europlanet 2024 Research Infrastructure.
Publications and Articles
DeWitt, J., Heward, A. & Mason, N.J. Insights into evaluating a research project through an impact case study of a pan-European research infrastructure. Nat Astron 9, 1415–1417 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-025-02684-7
DeWitt, J., Heward, A. Evaluating the Impact of Europlanet 2024 RI. Europlanet Magazine Special Issue, July 2024.
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Image credits: Europlanet, ESA, Huw John, Cardiff
