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Having the "Sense About Science"
28 September 2011
By Christine Fernandez
Last year I attended this workshop organised by a British NGO - "Sense about science" and "the voice of young science". Not only did it make my role as a PGR more relevant in society but it gave me a sense of responsibility towards society at large.
Below is an invitation for any PGRs or PDRs who are interested to make a difference (i.e. some noise) on what the media says about science. It is an invitation to attend a one day workshop free of charge where representatives from the media (e.g. journalists, BBC), academia (e.g. university profs.), lawyers, IP professionals, NGOs and TV stars share their experiences and views on how to get about negating misconceptions about science spread by the media.
I would say it is a chance:
1. to boost your confidence,
2..to increase your awareness of your rights as a researcher,
3..to improve your relevance in society, and
4. to make a difference with others (the law) backing you.
Dear all It’s been a year since our last Standing up for Science media workshop in Scotland and we’re back on 18th November, this time at the University of Glasgow, to do it all again! I know that many of you have participated in this workshop, but for those who haven’t would you be interested in attending? Or do you know anyone that you think would enjoy the workshop and find it useful? It would be great if you could help us spread the word and tell any friends and colleagues who you think might be interested. It’s a free full-day event, and to apply all that is needed is to send a CV and a cover letter (deadline is 4th November). I’ve pasted some information about the workshop below that you can pass on. Thanks, and do get in touch if you have any questions! Julia ******************** Sense About Science will be holding a Standing up for Science media workshop at the University of Glasgow on Friday 18th November. This full day event is free and for early career researchers in all sciences, engineering and medicine (PhD students, post-docs or equivalent in first job). During the workshop we combine discussion about science-related controversies in media reporting with practical guidance and tips for how to deal with the media. Please find further information at http://www.senseaboutscience.org/data/files/VOYS_workshop_Glasgow_flyer.pdf These workshops are very popular and places are limited. To apply send a CV and covering letter explaining your reasons for applying and stating any affiliations you hold to Victoria Murphy vmurphy@senseaboutscience.org. Closing date for applications is Friday 4th November.
Blanka Sengerová05 October 2011 at 02:28 PM
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Good to see somebody else from the Voice of Young Science Network on this blog! Thanks for the posting, Christine - I would certainly reiterate that the workshop is a good way of getting yourself more aware of how science can be misrepresented in the media (as discussed by Simon in a previous post) and what you, as an early (or not so early) career researcher can do about it. And it's also a good way of looking at your work laterally and getting out of the lab/library to do something different for a day, which can't be a bad thing.
Related to the workshop, Sense about Science have recently launched the 'Ask For Evidence' campaign, encouraging members of the public (not just scientists) to question what evidence there is behind claims that companies make in their advertising and PR, claims that journalists make in their articles and TV reports and similar such things. It would be great if those of you who see something dodgy in the press bring it up and "ask for evidence", as SAS encourage the public to do.
Simon Smith06 October 2011 at 05:04 PM
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How broadly defined is science when we're talking about Sense about Science and Voice of Young Science? Are they concerned with certain disciplines or are they more about promoting a scientific approach to knowledge per se?
Blanka SengerováEdited: 07 October 2011 at 04:51 PM
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In response to your question, Simon, it's more of the latter, i.e. concern with "promoting a scientific approach to knowledge". VoYS members are from a wide number of disciplines, including engineering, maths/computing, biosciences, medicine, but I those from the arts/social sciences side are welcome to get involved too.