Science communication is part of a scientist’s everyday life; they write papers and proposals, give talks, educate students, and promote findings to the public. Thus, scientists communicate effectively within a bubble of their peers. Nevertheless, to be successful and impactful, regardless of the field or career path, one must be an effective and engaging communicator to broader, non-scientific audiences. These include media, policymakers, students, and the public. The ability to communicate information (verbally and non-verbally) in a simple, accurate and concise manner is key for science to have an impact on the outside world.
Scientists who are good communicators build support for science, promote the understanding of its wider relevance to society, and encourage informed decision-making at all levels, from government to communities to individuals. Effective communication can make science more accessible, diverse, and inclusive. Being able to explain and promote the relevance of ideas and discoveries can also enhance a scientist’s ability to secure funding, find a job, write more comprehensible papers, and be a better teacher and mentor to the next generation. When scientists bring science stories to life, science thrives. Nevertheless, this vital life skill is often overlooked, and as a core professional skill, it is unfortunately not always taught to young scientists.
This workshop, called Boosting the impact of your science through effective communication: Learning how to be heard by media, policy makers and stakeholders was organized by EMB Young Ambassadors Alessandro Cresci, Rebecca Zitoun and Anjali Gopakumar as part of the International Conference for YOUNG Marine Researchers (ICYMARE) 2021 edition. It focussed on the importance of good communication to ensure that your science has impact, both for top-down and bottom-up engagement. The session discussed the basics, principles, and strategies that make communicating to media, policymakers, and stakeholders effective. Invited experts shared techniques, tricks and lessons learnt on how to become an impactful communicator. By introducing the European science-policy landscape and the Ocean Decade, we showed why good communication can make a difference. The workshop allowed attendees to have discussions, ask questions, and share ideas.
The workshop took place online on Thursday 23 September 2021 at 12:30-15:30 CEST. You can find the workshop agenda here.
You can find a graphic of the main messages from the workshop here and read a blog about the workshop here.
You can find the full ICYMARE Conference programme here.
