4 de November de 2024

Science For Change provides trainings on science communication and engagement to ERC grantees

On 24th October, Science For Change offered specialized trainings as part of the European Research Council's (ERC) Science Engagement Day , empowering 90 researchers with essential skills in public engagement and science communication.

The ERC Science Engagement Day, was organised for ERC grantees that applied for the ERC Public Engagement with Research Award and featured talks from invited speakers and four co-creation training sessions provided by Science for Change. These workshops aim to further enhance researchers’ ability to communicate and engage to various target audiences, from media to policymakers and the public.

For this, we specifically designed sessions around four key topics:

Building long term relationships with the media : Researchers learnt how to navigate the media landscape, establish trustworthy relationships with journalists, and enhance their visibility as reliable scientific sources."
Reaching policymakers to support evidence-informed policies : This session focused on bridging the gap between science and policymaking. Participants gained insights into how their research can influence evidence-based policies and create real-world political impact."
Co-design strategies in collaborative research projects : Attendees explored Design Thinking and other co-design methodologies, learning how to apply inclusive and participatory strategies to research projects."
Citizen science and participatory methodologies : This session empowered researchers with the tools and knowledge to launch community-driven projects, promoting responsible and impactful science through citizen participation."

These workshops provided the attendees with the skills, resources and strategies to amplify their research’s impact, foster public engagement, and contribute to evidence-based policymaking.

It was a wonderful experience to think along with the ERC how we could deliver a rich and diversified training program that would bring an added value to the ERC grantees and award applicants, to continue excelling in their projects and engaging with multiple audiences by equipping them with state-of-the-art participatory scicomm methodologies, resources and knowledge. This way they can not only continue delivering excellence in science but ensuring the impact in society and its mutual benefits is part of it.

Joana Magalhães

Senior Researcher and Science Communication Area Manager SFC

To close the ERC Science Engagement Day, the ERC Public Engagement with Research Award 2024 ceremony took place, with the public announcement of the 6 winners, representing ERC grantees who have successfully engaged audiences outside their domain in the design, conduct, or dissemination of research, helping to bridge the gap between science and society. Congratulations to all.