Science communication & media skills training
The ability to communicate clearly and effectively with wider audiences is essential for today's scientist. Science regularly attains a high profile in the news, and there is an increasing demand for researchers to explain their work and how it affects society.
Most funding agencies now expect researchers to engage these wider audiences, whether through the media, public lectures or other forms of outreach. But many researchers feel inadequately equipped for this role, which involves different skills to communicating with specialist colleagues.
We provide science communication and media skills training, uniquely led by science journalists and communicators who also have experience as research-active scientists. This experience gives us an excellent perspective of the needs of course participants.
Our courses cover a range of areas, from courses for students wanting to learn the basics of communicating with wider audiences, to training for researchers who want to deal with the media, undertake outreach activities or better understand the role of scientists in wider public dialogue. Please visit the "What we offer" page for more information.
We help scientists develop the skills to engage wider audiences, because scientists are the best advocates of their own work.
News
30 November 2008
SciConnect trainers Dr Claire Ainsworth and Dr Jon Copley have been included in this year's Courvoisier The Future 500, a list of promising UK individuals under 40, published by The Observer newspaper today.
26 November 2008
The Royal Society of Chemistry has published a report on declining standards of science education in secondary schools. The RSC has also launched an online petition of the government for action to address this issue.
17 November 2008
SciConnect trainer Dr Claire Ainsworth has launched http://www.connectingscience.org/ - a dedicated online social network where scientists who want to communicate their research to wider audiences can get together to share ideas, ask questions and pool experience.
04 November 2008
SciConnect trainer Dr Jon Copley has been awarded this year's Biosciences Federation Science Communication Award in the "Established Researcher" category, "in recognition of the wide variety of media he uses to promote science and the valuable training that he provides for others".
09 September 2008
A report commissioned by Shell examines the attitudes of school pupils to science - and finds a decline in enthusiasm and interest in the subject between the ages of 9 and 14.
The report recommends that more scientists engage with schools to tackle this decline: "Improving students' understanding of the real-life applications of science and the people working in these areas will encourage more students to consider science-based careers".
11 August 2008
The UK's leading business organisation, the CBI, has called for more school pupils to study separate science subjects at GCSE, rather than "combined science". Only 7% of UK school pupils currently take separate science subjects at GCSE.
Richard Lambert, Director-General of the CBI, says: "We need to create an environment in schools that reflects the importance of science, and the value of studying it. We also need to send an unambiguous message to young people who are good at science that science as a career can be fascinating and worthwhile".
07 August 2008
SciConnect has received an honourable mention in a Times Higher Education article about media training for researchers.
19 July 2008
SciConnect trainers Dr Claire Ainsworth and Dr Jon Copley contributed to "Getting to the point: an interactive media communication training session", organised by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, at the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF) 2008 conference in Barcelona.
05 June 2008
SciConnect are providing training in science communication for an EPSRC Partnerships in Public Engagement grant (EP/F066368/1: "Engaging teenagers in science by the back door"), co-ordinated at the University of Warwick.
1 May 2008
SciConnect Limited has a new home: Southampton Science Park. Our new address is SciConnect Limited, Southampton Science Park, 2 Venture Road, Chilworth, Southampton SO16 7NP.
13 March 2008
Research Councils UK (RCUK) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) have published a report on "Public Attitudes to Science 2008", based on a survey of a cross-section of the UK population. Compared with similar surveys in 2000 and 2005, the new report suggests an increase in interest and support for science and engineering among the general public in recent years.
A majority of those polled also agreed that they would like scientists to spend more time discussing their work with the public and that scientists should be rewarded for such communication. But the report also highlights the need for training for scientists to communicate effectively with these wider audiences:
"The UK population believes that communication between those involved in science and the general public could be improved... the way science was communicated often made it inaccessible to the general public."
16 January 2008
Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham MP has delivered a speech to the RSA stressing the need for scientists to engage with wider public audiences about their work:
"'Science and society' used to be an area which was seen as a niche part of science communication. Today, we have no choice but to see it as a necessary condition for British and global success."
08 November 2007
Science and Innovation Minister Ian Pearson MP has emphasised the value of researchers engaging wider audiences, welcoming the new RCUK Beacons for Public Engagement initiative:
"Public and societal engagement needs to become an integral part of researchers’ university experience. Bringing scientists and the public together is doubly beneficial. It helps ensure scientific work is relevant to society and that the public have trust in science. I want to see a culture shift to recognise the importance of this activity within a research context."
05 October 2007
"Soton staff get ready for their close-up": headline of front-page article in today's Times Higher Education Supplement, describing the media training programme that SciConnect Limited are delivering for the Faculty of Engineering, Science & Mathematics at the University of Southampton.
04 October 2007
SciConnect trainer Dr Jon Copley presented a first-hand account of the benefits of science communication and institutional barriers to public engagement, as an invited speaker at the annual Wellcome Trust / New Scientist media dinner.
10 September 2007
SciConnect trainer Dr Jon Copley delivered this year's Charles Lyell Award Lecture at the British Association Festival of Science. Further details are available here.
30 March 2007
SciConnect trainer Dr Claire Ainsworth has received a bursary, supported by The Office of Science and Innovation, to attend the annual British Association / Royal Society Science Communication Conference in London on 14-15 May. The conference covers hot topics in the field of science and how it is communicated; further details are available here.