Standing up for Science: Workshops to Train and Support Early Career Researchers in Media and Policy Engagement
Championing Science: Empowering Early Career Researchers through the Voice of Young Science Programme
Standing up for science can be daunting. Polarised debates across a range of issues from gene editing to vaccine safety and GM foods to human-made climate change mean that you, as researchers, can often be understandably wary of putting your heads above the parapet to defend science. Scepticism, misinformation, and the potential of social media pile-ons are especially scary at the start of careers, and you may not feel equipped to take on these debates. And yet if scientists (including you!) are not out in the public sphere, responding to the public’s questions and concerns, and championing one of our most reliable sources of knowledge, we risk further misunderstanding and misinformation spreading through society.
This is why, for the last 20 years, we, Sense about Science, has run the Voice of Young Science (VoYS) programme which provides training and resources to early career researchers (ECRs) keen to take responsibility for the public discussion around science and research. We believe that investing at the early stage of your careers is a way of improving the long-term culture around research toward openness and transparency.
At our in-person and online VoYS workshops called Standing Up for Science, you will hear from researchers further along in their careers about their experiences, good and bad, of working with the media and policy worlds. You will learn from journalists and policy professionals about how their worlds work and what they need from you to operate effectively. You will also have the opportunity to share your worries and concerns with peers and receive tools and insights on tricky areas where the public conversation can go wrong or be incredibly polarised. Ultimately, VoYS aims to inspire you to understand why it is so important to stand up for science, and to build up your confidence and skills to have public conversations about science and evidence.
Book your free place at upcoming workshops
Our next workshops in 2024, which are free for SEB members, will take place in-person at the University of Edinburgh on Friday, 1 November and online on Friday, 6 December.
The November workshop is an all-day event running from 10-16 (GMT) and it includes lunch and refreshments. As an online workshop, the December event is a half-day event running from 9-13 (GMT, 10-14 GMT+1), and it will focus on EU media and policy engagement including a diverse panel of European researchers, media, and policy professionals, including from the European Commission.
Apply for your place now!
SEB members simply need to select 'The Society for Experimental Biology' when asked on the workshop application form to provide details of any membership to professional societies. The SEB will verify your membership with Sense about Science once you have successfully registered for the workshop
Attending the workshop was such a rewarding experience! [...] Hearing from journalists and policymakers about what they need from scientists opened my eyes to the importance of interacting effectively with other stakeholders at the interface between science and society. I now feel more aware and confident in making my voice heard in the public discussion around science.
To get workshop notifications, sign you to the VoYS network. You’ll also receive regular resources and updates on opportunities to build your confidence and skills in engage the public, media and policymakers.
Early career researchers in discussion at our Standing Up for Science workshop at University of Glasgow, November 2023.
Do your PhD internship with Sense about Science
If you are a PhD student in a programme which provides funding for a work placement, consider doing an internship with us!
Interning with us is a rewarding experience, as no two days are the same. Get practical experience of communications, policy and public engagement, and issues of research quality, developing key professional skills and contacts.
Please note that we can only consider short-term internship applications as part of a funded opportunity or scheme, such as PIPS. Find out more.
