Background on Science Communication (abridged)

Office of Science and Technology and the Wellcome Trust. “Science and the Public: A Review of Science Communication and Public Attitudes to Science in Britain.” London: Office of Science and Technology, Great Britain / Wellcome Trust, 2000. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/gqk2wxw6.

The term ‘science communication’ encompasses communication between:

• groups within the scientific community, including those in academia and industry;
• the scientific community and the media;
• the scientific community and the public;
• the scientific community and the Government, or others in positions of power and/or authority;
• the scientific community and the Government, or others who influence policy;
• industry and the public;
• the media (including museums and science centres) and the public; and
• the Government and the public.

Association of Science Communicators. “Home Page.” Association of Science Communicators, 2023. https://www.associationofsciencecommunicators.org/.

We promote responsible practices in science communication, facilitate discussion and exchange of ideas, enable networking, and foster public engagement. Our members gain professional skills, networking opportunities, and most importantly, a sense of community.

COMPASS. “Home Page.” 2023. https://www.compassscicomm.org/.

[From “About Us”] “Preparing scientists to become agents of change. We invest in science leaders that reflect the diversity of society as a whole, creating inclusive, safe, and empowering spaces for learning and transformation. With strategic skills, connections, and support, scientists can advance just, equitable solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss. Since 1999, COMPASS has supported over 10,000 scientists to communicate about their work and engage beyond lab and field. We’ve connected them with journalists, policymakers, and community leaders across the United States, when and where it matters, ensuring science has a seat at the table. Our community is our strength. We work within and across a consciously-woven network spanning disciplines, ideologies, sectors, and fields. From our unique vantage point, we spot and open doors that lead to new partnerships and solutions, bringing scientists and communities together to co-create a future where people and nature thrive.”

Open Notebook. “Home Page.” The Open Notebook, 2024. https://www.theopennotebook.com/.

From “About”] The Open Notebook is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is widely regarded as the leading online source of training and educational materials for journalists who cover science. Our ultimate goal is to enable communities to navigate the complexities of how science affects our everyday lives. Toward that end, our work focuses on strengthening journalistic coverage of science, environment, health, and technology. Our publications, courses, workshops, and mentoring programs empower journalists in the U.S. and globally to tell stories that matter, contributing to an informed and engaged society.

PCST Network – Global network for science communication. “Home Page,” n.d. https://www.pcst.network/.

[From “About”] The PCST Network seeks to promote new ideas, methods, intellectual and practical questions, and perspectives on the communication of science and technology. Specifically, it aims to: * improve the theoretical understanding of science communication by providing a forum to consider the latest developments * improve the practice of science communication by providing a forum to consider strategies and methods * promote an exchange between practitioners and theoreticians, to improve both the study and practice of science communication.

Communication Research – Articles onScience Communication (Search Results). https://journals.sagepub.com/action/doSearch?AllField=science+communication&SeriesKey=crxa.

Science Communication. https://journals.sagepub.com/description/SCX.

SciComm 2022. “Sharing Science in a Polarized World,” 2022. https://www.scicommcon.org/.

[From “About Us”] SciComm is a conference dedicated to understanding and promoting effective communication of science to diverse audiences – including students of all levels as well as the general public – across all venues.

Science Writers 2023. “Welcome,” 2023. https://sciencewriters2023.org/welcome.

ScienceWriters2023 is presented by the National Association of Science Writers and the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing in collaboration with our local hosts, University of Colorado Boulder and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Muindi, Fanuel, and Jenny Luray. Visualizing the Landscape of Training Initiatives for Scientists in Public Engagement in the United States. 2023 Inaugural Editon. Research!America, 2023. https://www.researchamerica.org/reports/visualizing-the-landscape-of-training-initiatives-for-scienitists-in-public-engagement-in-the-u-s-_-nov-2023/.

In partnership with the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, Research!America conducted an in-depth mapping of the public engagement training landscape in the United States. This inaugural report offers a detailed overview of the diversity and scope of training initiatives enhancing public engagement for scientists. Notably, the report includes an interactive dashboard that provides a dynamic window into the rapidly developing field of training in public engagement. Together, the report and dashboard are designed to inspire new discussions, connections, and collaborations that further strengthen the ecosystem of public engagement training for scientists. Watch the launch of the report and dashboard.

Training Initiatives​ for Scientists in Public Engagement (TISPE) Dashboard. From Fanuel Muindi and Jenny Luray, Visualizing the Landscape of Training Initiatives for Scientists in Public Engagement in the United States, 2023 (c) Research!America. (Online interactive version of dashboard.)

Arthur L. Carter Institute. “The Science Communication Workshops at NYU.” NYU Journalism, n. d. https://journalism.nyu.edu/about-us/science-communication-workshops-nyu/.

Our Mission: Helping Scientists Reach the General Public– Has there ever been a more important time for scientists to learn to communicate effectively to lay audiences? We don’t think so. Researchers need to be able to talk about their work clearly, concisely and accurately not just to funders and peer reviewers, but to colleagues, patients, and the public at large. They must not only explain the latest findings from the laboratory or clinic, but convey the underlying passion, excitement, and resourcefulness that produced those discoveries. And they must do all this while also learning how to achieve critical distance from their own field in order to become reliable, trustworthy commentators. With that in mind, the Carter Institute in 2009 began offering workshops taught by nationally prominent science writers for NYU science Ph.D. students and post-doctoral fellows. We have since expanded our trainings to include NYU science faculty and now offer specialized workshops in audio podcasting, too. In 2023, we are expanding to include master’s degree students in the sciences.

Lewenstein, Bruce V. “Science Communication Workshop … for Graduate Students (and Others),” 2024. https://blogs.cornell.edu/scicommworkshop/.

This intensive weekend workshop introduces graduate students and post-docs in the sciences (including natural sciences, engineering, experimental social sciences, etc.) to communicating effectively – especially about controversial topics, such as climate change or evolution – with nonscientists such as policy makers, political stakeholders, the media, and the general public. Activities include role-playing, mini-lectures, hands-on practice writing blog posts and other outreach materials, real-time practice being interviewed for the media, and discussion with invited speakers.

We will begin on Friday afternoon with a panel of speakers talking about opportunities in public communication…. On Saturday, we start right out with writing for the public through press releases and blogs. You’ll get practice. Plenty of practice. Sunday is devoted to constructing a message and delivering it in a broadcast media interview. Throughout the weekend we’ll also meet other scientists and science communicators, learning from their experience.

Stony Brook University Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science / School of Communication & Journalism. “Science Communication Master’s Program,” 2023. https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/journalism/graduate-students/science-communication-masters.php.

This page describes the Master of Science in Science Communication degree program and requirements. “Good science requires good communication. When you master effective communication, you can advocate for valid, reliable science and help others engage with science in meaningful ways. Help bring science out of labs and libraries and into the world.”

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. “The Art of Science Communication,” 2023. https://www.asbmb.org/career-resources/communication-course.

The Art of Science Communication is an online course that provides fundamental training in science communication, focusing on how to present science to a nonexpert audience in a formal setting, such as a public lecture. Using video lectures, background material, virtual mentoring and discussions, the course covers the important components of what makes for a successful presentation, including messaging, generating interest and engaging with the audience. The course is open to all scientists and STEM professionals.An online course that provides fundamental training in science communication.

Animate Your Science. “Science Communication Training Academy,” 2023. https://www.animateyour.science/training.

The Science Communication Training Academy is an initiative formed by Animate Your Science and its affiliates to deliver SciComm training to the world. Our courses and workshops are suitable for all levels of tertiary education — from students to researchers. We encourage even the most seasoned academics to take our programs to bolster and update their communication skills.

COMPASS. “Workshops & Event,” 2024. https://www.compassscicomm.org/events/.

[From COMPASS home page https://www.compassscicomm.org/ under “Training”] In-depth, highly interactive, and personalized science communication, policy, and strategy trainings will teach you to find the relevance of your science for key audiences, set your goals for change, and motivate and inspire you to reach them.

Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet, and Bruce V. Lewenstein. “Science Communication Training: What Are We Trying to Teach?” International Journal of Science Education, Part B 7, no. 3 (July 3, 2017): 285–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2017.1303756.

Rapid growth in public communication of science and technology has led to many diverse training programs. We ask: What are learning goals of science communication training? A comprehensive set of learning goals for future trainings will draw fully from the range of fields that contribute to science communication. Learning goals help decide what to count as success and how to gather evidence of learning. Based on the strands of learning developed for ‘learning science in informal environments’, we built a conceptually coherent definition of science communication learning that addresses affective issues, content knowledge, methods, reflection, participation, and identity. We reviewed dozens of articles describing science communication training, identifying explicit and implicit learning goals. We identified gaps in outcomes commonly used for training programs; these gaps appeared especially in the areas of affective learning and identity formation. No one program can achieve all learning goals. Different courses might be tailored for scientists who remain in science, wish to become journalists, wish to work for museums, etc. But we believe conceptual coherence can help course designers identify important goals. Creating a common language will increase the ability to compare outcomes across courses and programs.

Barbolini, Natasha. “Bringing Science Communication Skills into the University Classroom and Back out Again: What Do Palaeoscience Educators Think?” Frontiers in Education 7 (2022). https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.852122.

University-level pedagogy and public science communication both have the same broad goal: to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and understanding from a specialist or expert, to a non-specialist group. Recent research has emphasised the need for there to be a two-way transfer or dialogue of ideas between these fields, but collaboration thus far is rare, particularly at the tertiary education level. Performing science outreach is mostly a voluntary service for academics, and institutions provide little in the way of support, training or recognition. Here I explore the potential for a positive feedback loop between science communication and higher-education pedagogy in the palaeosciences. A synthesis of best practises in science outreach is drawn from the literature and related to pedagogical concepts and findings. The resulting congruences suggest enormous potential for ‘cross-pollination’ of ideas between the fields….

Brownell, Sara E., Jordan V. Price, and Steinman, Lawrence. “Science Communication to the General Public: Why We Need to Teach Undergraduate and Graduate Students This Skill as Part of Their Formal Scientific Training.” Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education 12, no. 1 (2013): E1–10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3852879/

[First paragraph] Communication of science to the general public is increasingly recognized as a responsibility of scientists …, yet how do scientists learn these skills? While scientists are thoroughly trained in research methodologies, analytical skills, and the ability to communicate with other scientists, they usually receive no explicit training in communication of scientific concepts to a layperson audience.

Cornell University. “SciComm@Cornell,” n. d. https://scicomm.cornell.edu/.

A guide to science communication resources at Cornell. [From “About”]: “The goal of SciComm@Cornell is to provide a landing page for people interested in learning more about how to do public communication of science and technology. Both the site and the “scicomm” tag on events highlight training opportunities, talks about the process of public communication, etc.”

CUNY Graduate Center. “The Graduate Center Science Communication Academy,” n.d. https://asrc.gc.cuny.edu/illuminationspace-hub/science-communication-academy/.

The GC [Graduate Center] Science Communication Academy engages CUNY STEM faculty and graduate students in learning how to communicate complex science to diverse audiences and advocate for STEM in the public interest through a variety of programs and skills-building opportunities. Our goal is to create a community of researchers committed to expanding understanding of and interest in the practice of science and sharing CUNY’s collective STEM excellence with New Yorkers and the world. In 2022, the IS SciCom Academy will also begin offering a public-facing science advocacy workshop created in partnership with NYC communities and aimed at providing under-resourced communities with skills for effective engagement of science policymakers.

Irion, Robert. “Science Communication: A Career Where PhDs Can Make a Difference.” Molecular Biology of the Cell 26, no. 4 (2017): 591–93. https://doi.org/10.1091/mbc.E14-03-0813.

Career pathways in science communication have shifted dramatically in the past decade with the diminution of traditional media outlets, especially newspapers. (Only one of my PhD graduates since 2006 still writes for a newspaper.) However, online media have soared in popularity, and writing jobs at research institutions also have helped take up the slack. Moreover, PhDs with data-handling and graphics or video skills are now recruited by major news outlets.

I closely track the career placements from my program and the ongoing work of our alumni. Our PhD science writers have no problem finding rewarding jobs or keeping busy as independent writers. Among the places they are in demand are the following:

• Publications primarily read by researchers….
• General-interest publications that value in-depth coverage….
• Universities and medical centers….
• Federal research agencies….
• Biomedical resource sites….

JHM Professional Development and Career Office. “Science Communication,” 2024. https://pdco.med.jhmi.edu/career-exploration/career-paths/science-communication/.

Professionals in science communication make complex scientific information accessible to lay or public audiences. They serve as liaisons between research scientists and the world beyond the bench. Common science communication positions include science writers, journalists, education outreach professionals, communication managers, and press managers for scientific institutions and museums. Success in these careers will require excellent written and oral communication skills.

The Professional Development and Career Office hosts a Communication and Advocacy Career Community that meets monthly for six months. The workshops expose trainees to a variety of careers in science outreach and science writing with the intent of helping trainees narrow down what science communication careers interest them most….

UC San Francisco Office of Career and Professional Development. “Science Communication and Outreach Careers,” 2024. https://career.ucsf.edu/phds/career-paths/science-communication.

Working in science communication encompasses a variety of careers, from traditional journalism, working for scientific journals to public outreach. Careers exist for general interest scientific publications, universities, federal agencies, and even textbook writing. Effective science communication is critical to having a positive impact on the way science is viewed by the public….

The type of career that is right for you will be related to the audience you want to reach. For example, do you want your audience to be the public, doctors or those in the medical field, scientific researchers, or investors for biotech companies? You will also want to consider the format of your communication….

Brodie, Jo. “Types of Science Communication Jobs: A List.” Scicommjobs – Science Communication Jobs (blog), 2019. https://scicommjobs.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/types-of-science-communication-jobs-a-list/.

How can I be a science communicator?

People often need or want access to technically precise information without necessarily having the background knowledge to make the most of it. Science communicators can help non-specialists engage with and make sense of complex information. They work in a range of jobs including science or medical writing, museums and science centres, health charities and in government.

There’s a lot of overlap among the different sectors mentioned below – you could also divide jobs into those where you communicate face to face, by written media (blogs, newspapers), or spoken (radio) or on TV…

1. Museums, science centres
2. Science or medical journalism….
3. TV or radio presenting, or contributor, editor, producer, researcher….
4. Medical research charities / patient groups (also science research-funding Research Councils)….
5. Government / Policy….
6. Learned societies / professional bodies….
7. Universities….
8. Pharmaceutical companies….

Gallegos, Jenna E. “Types of Science Communication Jobs – and How to Prepare for Them.” Escaping The Bench (blog), 2022. https://escapingthebench.com/2022/03/29/types-of-science-communication-jobs-and-how-to-prepare-for-them/.

The term “alternative careers” in science is becoming wildly outdated. The majority of scientists now seek jobs outside of academia, and the interest in science communication in particular is growing. Fortunately, the pool of science communication careers is also expanding. But for the recently graduated, knowing what to search for is a challenge. This post will explain the types of science communication careers out there and how to prepare yourself for them. Scroll to the bottom for a table comparing different scicomm careers on the basis of job security, compensation, competition, and potential for working remote….

AstraZeneca. “Director, Global Scientific Communications – Hematology,” 2024. https://careers.astrazeneca.com/job/boston/director-global-scientific-communications-hematology/43991/53973569872.

The Director, Scientific Communications, Hematology leads the development and implementation of global communications strategies, publications plans and medical education initiatives across the Hematology areas in alignment with Alexion brand and corporate strategies. The Director will chair the Hematology TA Global Publication Team as well as engage with cross-functional partners including but not limited to research, clinical development, marketing, medical affairs and biostats. In this role, the Director will develop collaborative and positive relationships with external investigators, leaders and authors. These efforts will ultimately drive timely execution of publication plans and result in high-quality and impactful scientific and clinical abstracts, posters, oral presentations, manuscripts, and slide decks. Analysis and interpretation of scientific and clinical data as well as review of results from cross-functional publications team members and agencies for content and key messages are central responsibilities of this role. The Director will also be responsible for the identification and supervision of medical communications agencies and may also work/oversee medical writing consultants. This position reports to the Senior Director, Global Medical Communications for Hematology & Nephrology….

Frost Museum of Science (Miami). “Careers,” 2024. https://www.frostscience.org/careers/.

From biologists swimming with sharks, to educators working with children, to our communication staff marketing a fantastic exhibit to the world, Frost Science offers a broad array of career paths. If you’re looking for a fun work environment that inspires learning and conservation, Frost Science is a great place to build your career. The museum is committed to our employees’ professional growth, offers competitive benefits and understands the value of work-life balance. We support employees as they manage priorities such as finances, retirement planning and health care….

Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL). “Job description – Science Communications Officer,” 2024. https://www.env-health.org/job-description-science-communications-officer/

Reporting to: Head of Communications.

Purpose of the role: The Science Communications Officer is responsible for the delivery of communications and dissemination activities related to HEAL’s participation in research projects under the content guidance of the EU Projects Coordinator. This involves coordinating all communication and dissemination activities for the research projects in which HEAL is involved, developing and implementing effective communications strategies, elaborating informative materials, and building and sharing compelling stories that showcase research findings towards policy, with a focus on science to policy communication.Key duties:

• Communications strategy and narrative development….
• Coordination and delivery of communication products….
• Content creation….
• Organisational development and other duties….