Participants met in Cardiff for the first two-day residential lab on the 5th and 6th of May. The lab, with its focus on ‘looking outwards’ was facilitated by Vivienne Parry, the science writer and broadcaster, and covered topics such as public engagement, media engagement and engaging with policy and policy makers. The speakers included Professor John Harries, Chief Scientific Advisor for Wales and Simon Farrington, the Business Development Editor for Media Wales. Following this first event, participants have been invited by the Western Mail to each contribute a 600 word article on their research in a thirty week series on research in Wales.