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Educational charity, We The Curious, has received a £15,000 grant from the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC), as part of Project Inspire: Digital Engagement and Innovation Programme. This project is in collaboration with the Inspiring Science Fund, a partnership between UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Wellcome.

The grant will go towards creating three paid research residencies for emerging young creatives from a diverse range of backgrounds, and a shorter design programme for thirty local young people to co-create emotionally engaging, relevant online content with We The Curious, based on the theme of climate action.

Their projects will be completed ahead of November; the results of their work will coincide with the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26 which is due to be held in Glasgow in November), and will be shared with We The Curious audiences online, in the venue and on the Big Screen. It will make up part of a COP26-inspired programme of activities and events, all themed around ‘A Better World Is Possible’ - exploring major climate themes and how people can work together to co-create solutions for the future.   

In 2019, We The Curious became the first science centre in the world to declare a climate emergency, with a pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030. As well as reducing energy as a venue, We The Curious has a role to increase public understanding of science and explore issues that affect people’s lives.

Building on the existing programmes and strategic community partnerships that We The Curious already hold, Project Inspire aims to bring together current STEM research together with young creatives to create inspiring, relevant content about climate action, a topic which many young people are passionate about, according to research conducted by the United Nations*.

The residents will be supported by producers from We The Curious, STEM professionals, young activists, industry specialists and community partners to co-design online content. They’ll also collaborate with thirty young people to identify climate-crisis themes in a series of rapid prototyping workshops, and will use some of the 10,000 curious questions gathered from the city of Bristol by We The Curious over the past 3 years, as inspiration for the  workshops.

It is hoped that through this programme, the residents involved will be able to make connections with current scientific research, universities, industry and people in the city to develop their networks and practice. Their work will also be disseminated amongst the national and international science centre sector. 

Nicole Briggs, Head of Audience for We The Curious said:

“We’re really excited to see what can be produced by bringing current STEM research and community partners together with a group of young creatives to explore a subject which, young people have told the world time and time again they are passionate about.
Our research with young people has shown us that meeting and working with different professionals can be a transformational experience, so we’re delighted that we can support emerging talent within the city in this way.

This has been a challenging year for us as a charity, it’s fantastic that with the support of ASDC and Wellcome Trust we are able to deliver this project and support young people entering a difficult creative jobs market. By working with the residencies, we are hoping to discover new ways to explore people’s curiosity, foster connections and engage with everyday science, to create positive social change.”   

Collaboration and diverse participation is one of the key pledges of the guiding Manifesto for We The Curious, which has been in place since 2017; it seeks to play a part in wider positive social change, by embedding new ways of working and integrating a multi-disciplinary approach, and reflecting issues which audiences are passionate about.

We The Curious is currently closed due to the pandemic, but hopes to open in May once restrictions lift – it will reopen with the launch of a brand new experience, Project What If. The Project Inspire residences will start in late spring.

About Project Inspire

Projects from eight UK Science and Discovery Centres have been selected to receive grants of £15,000 to develop new and creative digital ways to engage and involve under-served and under-represented communities and audiences with STEM.

The selected Science Centres were chosen from a host of applicants from across the UK to join this one-year national Digital Innovation and Engagement Programme, which includes Science Centres being given training and support through a series of masterclasses and ideation sessions, bringing in the latest knowledge and expertise, as well as the funding of £15,000 to develop and deliver their individually co-created digital innovation projects with their communities.

The eight selected Science Centres are:

1. Glasgow Science Centre
2. Dundee Science Centre
3. Kielder Observatory on the English – Scottish Border
4. Techniquest in Cardiff
5. The National Space Centre in Leicester
6. Science Oxford
7. We the Curious in Bristol
8. Winchester Science Centre

Proposals from these eight Science Centres were selected for the Digital Engagement and Innovation Programme because their projects demonstrated plans and ambition for inspirational digital practice that would change the way they involve under-served and under-represented communities and audiences with STEM.

Project Inspire is a one-year national Digital Engagement and Leadership Programme for UK Science Centres, led by ASDC. The project has been developed by ASDC following consultation with the sector and has two strands which together will support selected Science Centres to adapt and grow during this time of change, and help them to innovate with their communities.

The two Project Inspire strands are:

1. The Digital Engagement and Innovation Programme for Science and Discovery Centres to develop new and creative digital ways to engage and involve under-served communities and audiences with STEM.
2. The ASDC Leadership Programme to nurture and support emerging Science Centre talent to become the inclusive and dynamic leaders of the future. Details will be launched in Spring 2021.

Project Inspire is a collaboration with the Inspiring Science Fund, a partnership between UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Wellcome.

This year’s Innes Lecture will be given, online, by Professor Nick Hopwood at 19.30 on 22 April

The lecture explores the links between two challenges: producing images of hidden objects and controlling human reproduction.

It shows how gynaecologists, anatomists and artists collected material from miscarrying women, and later from operations, to construct developmental series that ever wider audiences saw in books, exhibitions, magazines and films. It highlights the crucial shift, with in vitro fertilisation and ultrasound, to viewing living embryos and fetuses that could develop into babies.

Nick Hopwood is Professor of History of Science and Medicine in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge.

For more information and to book visit:

https://www.jic.ac.uk/event/innes-lecture-2021-visible-embryos-a-history-of-human-development/

Applications are now open to study for an MSc in Science Communication at UWE Bristol’s renowned Science Communication Unit. The course starts in October 2021.

The programme has been running for well over a decade and has developed an international reputation with employers for the practical skills in science communication that its students develop - practical skills that are underpinned with theoretical knowledge. The Unit pools its expertise, resources and contacts to deliver a programme that offers excellent professional development opportunities for those already working as science communicators or those aiming to move into the field.

Our MSc in Science Communication programme was given a 100% satisfaction rating by its students in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) in the 19/20 academic year. In this survey, our students said they value the practice-focused approach of the programme that provides an opportunity to learn new skills.

The course is taught on UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus in Bristol and we have access to excellent facilities such as radio studios and TV editing suites.

We provide opportunities to combine study with placements and projects hosted by organisations in the field in Bristol and elsewhere. Full-Time Home Award Fees are £7250. Student loans are available for those studying the MSc full time and part time. The course is timetabled to allow our students to fit their studies around work commitments and a 25% fee discount is available to UWE Bristol alumni to study with us.

An online open event is taking place at 7pm (GMT) on Thursday, 13 May 2021 and you can register your interest for the session here: https://www.uwe.ac.uk/courses/open-days/postgraduate-open-events. Alternatively, contact Programme Leader Andy Ridgway directly at Andy.Ridgway@uwe.ac.uk for further information.

You will find more information about the MSc in Science Communication here: https://courses.uwe.ac.uk/P90012/science-communication

Science Communication Unit

University of the West of England

Bristol, UK

 

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w: www1.uwe.ac.uk/research/sciencecommunicationunit.aspx

 

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The Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), also known as the Spanish National Research Council, signs up to the Biochemical Society and Portland Press’ pilot Read & Publish transformative deal. Corresponding authors at CSIC institutions will receive unlimited open access (OA) publishing across the entire journal portfolio.

The CSIC has 120 research institutes across Spain, joining 130 other organisations already participating in this Read & Publish scheme. This pilot transitional agreement will help CSIC´s researchers working in biology and the life sciences to gain more impact and visibility for their articles. Portland Press is the Biochemical Society’s publisher, and its pilot Read & Publish scheme, offering unlimited OA publishing, first went live in 2020 as a means of transforming more of its published research and review articles to OA. This Read & Publish agreement guarantees all corresponding authors OA publishing by default at no additional author-facing charges.

Professor Richard Reece, Chair of Portland Press Board, Trustee of the Biochemical Society and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Kent, says: “We are delighted to work with CSIC on signing up to our growing Read & Publish offerings. The CSIC is determined to contribute to making academic publications more accessible, which aligns with our own mission, transforming to open scholarship. We look forward to publishing OA research from CSIC authors on diverse topics in molecular biology and the life sciences.”

Agnès Ponsati, CSIC‐Director at the Unit of Information Resources for Research, says: “Our institution's commitment to open science contemplates the progressive transformation of the traditional subscription deals with scientific publishers, towards agreements that promote immediate open access. We are happy to have achieved this agreement with Portland Press. We have worked with other big publishers, but we want to offer equal support to others of unquestionable scientific relevance, as it is the case with the Biochemical Society. We are eager to contribute with them in their various ways of transitioning toward open access.”

Portland Press publishes seven journals covering different areas within molecular biology and the life sciences; two are fully open access (OA) titles and there are five hybrid journals where content is usually published behind a paywall, with authors either choosing to pay an article publishing charge to have their work published OA or benefitting from default, charge-free OA publishing where their institution has signed up to a Read & Publish pilot.

To support and accelerate a transition to OA, these pilot Read & Publish offerings provide an alternative to regular subscriptions. The Biochemical Society and Portland Press are committed to a sustainable transition to a more open scholarly publishing landscape and our Read & Publish initiative builds on the principles set out in our Open Scholarship position statement.

Visit portlandpress.com/OpenScholarship for more information.

Max Planck Digital Library and Portland Press sign Read & Publish deal enabling unlimited open access in the Biochemical Society’s journals

The Max Planck Society is the latest organization to sign-up to the Biochemical Society and Portland Press’ pilot Read & Publish transformative deal. This provides Max Planck researchers with unlimited open access (OA) publishing and ‘read’ access across the entire journal portfolio. The Max Planck Society joins more than 50 other institutions based around the world, from Tokyo to Texas, participating in this Read & Publish scheme.

Portland Press is the Biochemical Society’s publisher and its pilot Read & Publish scheme, offering unlimited OA publishing, first went live in 2020 as a means of making more of its published research and review articles openly available to researchers everywhere. This Read & Publish agreement guarantees all corresponding authors affiliated with the 86 Max Planck Institutes worldwide with OA publishing of their articles by default and at no additional author-facing charges.

The three-year deal, 2021-2023, repurposes former library subscription funds to support open access publishing, instead, ensuring a move away from the traditional subscription model towards a sustainable publishing model based on open dissemination of research.

Professor Richard Reece, Chair of Portland Press Board, Trustee of the Biochemical Society and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Kent, says: “The Max Planck Society and Biochemical Society are highly aligned in principles and thinking around transitioning to sustainable open scholarship. We are extremely pleased to be piloting this new model with the Max Planck Society and look forward to publishing work from Max Planck scholars on an OA basis in support of the advancement of the molecular biosciences.”

Dr Ralf Schimmer, Head of Information Provision at the Max Planck Digital Library, said: “Through their commitment and thoughtful strategy, the Biochemical Society is paving the way for learned societies toward a sustainable and irreversible transition of scholarly publishing to open access. We are delighted to implement this new agreement in full alignment with the Max Planck Society’s open access transformation strategy and the OA2020 Initiative, for the benefit of our research community and scientists everywhere.”

Portland Press publishes seven journals covering different areas within molecular biology and the life sciences; two are fully open access (OA) titles and there are five hybrid journals where content is usually published behind a paywall, with authors either choosing to pay an article publishing charge to have their work published OA or benefitting from default, charge-free OA publishing where their institution has signed up to a Read & Publish pilot.

To support and accelerate a transition to OA, these pilot Read & Publish deals provide an innovative alternative to the traditional subscription business model in scholarly publishing. The Biochemical Society and Portland Press are committed to a sustainable transition to a more open scholarly publishing landscape and our Read & Publish initiative builds on the principles set out in our Open Scholarship position statement.

Visit portlandpress.com/OpenScholarship for more information.

 

 

BIG recently partnered with the British Science Association to run a session alongside the annual BIG Event to explore how science engagement practitioners can make better use of their facilities and resources to support equality, diversity and inclusion.  You can read the blog here.

Talking Maths in Public is the UK’s national maths communication conference, and takes place every two years in locations around the country. TMiP 2019 will take place at the Isaac Newton Institute at the University of Cambridge on 29th-31st August, and will be a chance for people who work in communicating and promoting maths and related topics to meet others who communicate maths, and to participate in training, workshops and discussions.

Tickets for TMiP 2019 cost £115 for all three days, including lunch and refreshments each day and a conference dinner on Thursday evening - as well as the full programme of workshops, talks and informal networking activities. Details of the event are available on our website at talkingmathsinpublic.uk, and if you have any further questions about the event, you can contact the organisers by emailing info@talkingmathsinpublic.uk.

BIG is offering a limited number of bursaries to BIG members who would not otherwise consider attending TMiP, covering the cost of a ticket to the conference (accommodation and travel not included). This could include those who work in more general science communication but would like to bring out the “M” in their STEM activities. If you wouldn't normally include maths in your work, or are unable to attend for other reasons, this bursary is for you.

This Partnership Bursary is a pilot activity which supports our commitment to working with other networks and organisations that are relevant to BIG members' interests. 

Find out more here

This year's Josh Award 2019 winners, Ben Nicholson and Frederike Gerstner being presented with their trophy at the BIG Event in Edinburgh by Judith Baird from the Science & Industry Museum, and Helen Featherstone, Chair of BIG.

Exhibit Prototyping: Skills Days for BEGINNERS, 2 days

1-2 October 2019, 10am -7pm both days

Edinburgh

Do you have an idea for an exhibit or demo that you'd like to make, but feel that you don't have the confidence, the skills or the facilities to make it? In this two day skills event, we'll show you how to use hand tools and woodworking machines to turn your idea into a useful prototype.

In this Skills Day offering, we’ll spend two days in the workshop of the Edinburgh Tool Library working on our own projects. This event is aimed at people with little or no workshop experience, but independent working will be required. There will be experienced staff available to help you get the most out of the workshop and the two days. (If you already have some experience, check out our Intermediate-level event in July.) 

The workshop is equipped for woodworking; drilling and hand-sawing metal is also possible. Don't worry if you haven't used some or all of the woodworking machines before - everyone will be given an induction on safety and machines’ capabilities.

Preparation: Although this event is aimed at people with minimal experience, everyone should come with an exhibit or a demo idea in mind. You'll get the most out of the event if you do as much of the thinking as possible beforehand, so that you can get stuck into making straight away. We will discuss your idea with you in advance so that we can advise on any details that you're unsure of. This will help you arrive with an idea that has the best chance of being completed in the time available.

In addition to tools and machines, we'll provide the basics: a collection of reclaimed timber, wood screws, and all the tools you'll need. For other materials and components, Screwfix and B&Q are not far away, but it will save you time if you do your shopping in advance.

About the session leader: Ben Craven

Ben is a vision scientist by training, but now makes his living teaching Product Design Engineering at Glasgow School of Art, and gentle maths and stats for the Open University. He also does freelance work in informal science communication, and arranges efficient networking events.

Find out more or BOOK HERE

£100 for members, £130 for non-members (Lunch is on your own)

We are recruiting for a freelance Membership Services Manager for an initial 3-year period starting this September. The time commitment will be approximately 8 hours a week worked flexibly and according to the needs of our organisation. Visit www.big.uk.com/jobs for more info