I am pleased to announce there is one nomination for the position of National President of Australian Science Communicators for the upcoming AGM: Associate Professor Joan Leach.

Joan has been nominated by Will Grant and seconded by Ruth Neale.

Please see below for Joan’s nomination statement.

Click here for more information on the 2014 AGM.

– Sarah Lau, National Secretary 

 

Nomination for President of ASC 2015

Associate Professor Joan Leach

j.leach@uq.edu.au

 

I am happy to nominate for a second term as ASC President for a very simple reason—unfinished business! Over the past year, ASC has made some real strides, some of them behind the scenes, but crucial for our sustainability and growth as a voluntary professional organisation.

Some ‘highlights’ from the past year:

• A stellar national conference in Brisbane in February
• Special Interest Groups ‘getting off the ground’ (SCREN and a new forming group K*)
• A complete review and audit of our financial systems
• A review of our status as a Not-for-profit
• The initiation of a professional development grant scheme

Now, I cannot take credit for these highlights—each of the highlights has a name or a group of names of ASC members (and our stellar Executive Officer, Kali Madden) against it. I will be acknowledging these stellar members at the AGM and in the end of year wrap-up for our newsletter, SCOPE. But, what this reveals is that, despite significant external pressures in our sector, science communicators remain committed to doing what they do best and also contributing to their own professional community. I want to continue to support and develop initiatives like these above over the next year and create a sustainable and vibrant professional community for our members.

Last year when I nominated for President, I identified the following issues as areas I wanted to explore: Benchmarking and ‘professionalization’ of the field, special interest groups, pursuing ethical guidelines, and raising awareness of the field. I’ve done that and want to continue those projects as outlined below:

Raising awareness of the field of Science Communication

Given cuts across CSIRO, the unsettled state of Australian Science Policy (what is it?), and funding cuts to the science sector, it is understatement to say that science communicators are working harder than ever to secure their roles. It is also the case that science communicators are needed more than ever to make the case for science, for engagement, and even for social change in the face of scientific evidence. I want to continue to make the ASC visible as the professional organisation for science communicators on national committees and in the national discussion.

Professionalization

This is a long-term interest of our association. In the past year, the AQF (Australian Quality Framework) standards have come into play across the Australian TAFE and Tertiary sectors. While as an academic, they’ve added to my workload, as President of ASC I can see how this framework can provide some guidelines as we go forward thinking about accreditation and the professionalization of our field.

 

Ethics Codes

Over the last year, I’ve had conversations across our organisation about ethics codes—nearly all of the people I’ve spoken to seem to think that we need some codes of professional practice and ethics to which we can point. I agree. The difficulty has been in the range of professional practices a ‘science communicator’ is engaged. One solution I’d like to explore in 2015 is to look to science journalism for one code of professional practice, to PR/strategic communication for another code and perhaps an ‘academic code’ for other members. We needn’t seek a one code fits all solution; rather, let’s have a set of professional guidelines at the ready for the multiple roles we take on. Yes, there will be grey areas—let’s make those productive. What, for example, should guide relationships among journalists and PR practitioners? That’s an important question to answer and by having codes for both sets of practices we can begin working on the areas of grey.

 

Special Interest Groups (SIGS)

Over the past year, more members have expressed interest in joining a thematically oriented group of colleagues. So, SCREN (Science Communication Research and Education Network) is one such SIG that has produced results. We plan to kick off a K* (knowledge brokering group) in early 2015. There may be others. We can discuss at the AGM and elsewhere how we might resource such groups to support their work and build professional development out of these special interest.

 

Professional Development

We’ve been organising a set of bootcamps for 2015—these will be run for members, by members. We will be supporting these through online portals which will allow us to share some of the excellent work our members do and learn from each other. Building a broad skill set is important to science communicators, so we want to support that.

The ASC offers the Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication to honour a person (or group of people) who exemplifies science communication.

The award is intended to recognise those whose contribution has been so significant over a period of time that they should by now have been recognised.

There was an exceptionally strong field of nominees this year. The judging panel commented on the particularly high standard of applications and the excellent representation of science communication across Australia.

The panel chose to recognise two highly commended finalists in the Unsung Hero 2013 Award – Dr Shane Huntington and Frankie Lee. Their citations are included in full below.

 

Finalist – Highly Commended – Dr Shane Huntington

DR SHANE HUNTINGTON has made an outstanding contribution to science communication over the past two decades.

 For 20 years he has been a broadcaster on Melbourne community radio station 3RRR’s science radio program, Einstein-a-Go-Go. In this capacity he has interviewed close to 1000 scientists (73 in 2013 alone) and explained hundreds of scientific concepts to the public. He is a host of Melbourne University’s Up Close podcast program. The program is archived by the National Library of Australia and has been downloaded globally more than 1 Million times. Shane has hosted almost 100 of episodes of Up Close since 2007, helping scientists and engineers to tell their stories through in-depth interviews.

A trained physicist and astronomy enthusiast, Shane, working with Professor Rachel Webster, founded the Telescopes in Schools Program, an initiative to place research-grade telescopes into secondary schools in Melbourne – particularly in low SES suburbs. The program is designed to get students interested in studying science, especially those students who wouldn’t ordinarily consider tertiary education.

Shane has also conducted communication training for hundreds of students and early-career researchers over the last 10 years, and MCs numerous events such as the Three Minute Thesis competition at the University of Melbourne. All of these activities are above and beyond his full-time role at University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, and show his deep commitment to engaging the widest and most diverse audiences for science.

 

Finalist – Highly Commended – Frankie Lee

FRANKIE LEE deserves recognition for her years of dedication in promoting science and engaging audiences of all ages in science communication events across the nation.

She has worked regularly with both established and “up and coming” science communicators, highlighting their science and connecting them with producers and presenters of radio shows, television shows and large scale events throughout the country

Frankie has worked freelance for organisations as diverse the ABC, Science Alert, Inspiring Australia, Powerhouse Museum, University of Technology Sydney, and TAFE Ultimo. Frankie was a founding member of the Ultimo Science Festival, and has been active for eight years as project manager of many Festival events. She has also been project manager for Science in the Pub events across Australia.

During her time with the ABC, Frankie drove the ABC’s successful science-outreach programs, including Scientists on the Loose (aimed at encouraging final year school students to consider a career in science), and numerous Café Scientific events recorded for later broadcast on Radio National. A lateral thinker, Frankie was instrumental in bringing science outreach to the Woodford Folk Festival, bringing science to an audience completely different to that usually engaged by science outreach initiatives.

In all of this, and much more, Frankie has stayed behind the scenes, brilliantly inspiring and curating events that bring science communicators to the fore. She makes them shine.

 

The ASC offers the Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication to honour a person (or group of people) who exemplifies science communication.

The award is intended to recognise those whose contribution has been so significant over a period of time that they should by now have been recognised.

There was an exceptionally strong field of nominees this year. The judging panel commented on the particularly high standard of applications and the excellent representation of science communication across Australia.

Craig Cormick was honoured as the 2013 Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication for two decades of deep engagement and powerful impact across the broad spectrum of science communication.

His citation and acceptance speech (in the form of a ‘science communication rap’) are reproduced in full below.

 

The Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication 2013

Winner – Craig Cormick

CRAIG CORMICK is honoured as the 2013 Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication for two decades of deep engagement and powerful impact across the broad spectrum of science communication.

Currently Manager of National Operations, Education for the CSIRO, Craig has headed up several government science communication enterprises, including Biotechnology Australia, the Australian Office of Nanotechnology and the National Enabling Technologies Strategy within the Department of Industry. He has initiated or managed many quality science communications activities, including the education resource Biotechnology Online, and the Science and Technology Engagement Pathway (STEP) framework, and a co-convenor of the 2013 Big Science Communications Summit.

Craig has been particularly effective on developing community engagement around contentious technologies such as biotechnology and nanotechnology, but has also been involved in climate change communication. He has been active in the broader debate on science communication through contributions to Best Australian Science Writing 2012, Cosmos, Ockham’s Razor and The Conversation.

Craig largely works behind the scenes, and freely provides his time and knowledge to others. He has developed and run many cross-agency forums and working groups that allow people working in similar areas to share information and work together for common outcomes.

Craig’s biggest impact has been in demanding more evidence-based rigour in science communication practice. He has been influential in communication strategies developed by regulators, government agencies and industries working on emerging technologies. He understands that science communications must begin from the perspective of the different audiences we seek to reach, and challenges science communicators to think outside their own ‘tribe’s’ values.

 

Science Communication Rap
(Craig’s acceptance speech)

These are my stories.  These are my mysteries. These are my histories.

These are my stories.

Why is our whole complex world of life and death and being, so beautiful yet so fierce?

From butterfly wings to cyclones?

From the cosmic to the nano?

‘Why is it so?’

 

What is this thing called science? Knowledge. Scientia.

Is it evolution, devolution, dilution, pollution, revolution, electrocution or institution?

Is it chemistry, brevity, industry, higher degree or zealotry?

Is it philosophy, astronomy, ecology, neurology or bureaucracy?

 

These are my stories.

 

‘Standing on the shoulders of giants, I see further – ‘

I see a ‘light in the demon-haunted darkness’

I see ‘alternative medicines that work’

I see ‘extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary evidence’

I see ‘there’s plenty of room at the bottom’

I see ‘the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic stud of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experimentation’

I see lots of acronyms

I see lots and lots of things written in Latin

Astra inclinant, sed non obligant – (the stars incline us, they do not bind us)

Sciential ipsa potentia est – (knowledge itself is power)

Communicare sciential ergo sum – (I communicate science therefore I am)

 

These are my stories.

 

As a science communicator I have travelled to all seven continents.

I’ve stood on volcanoes and ice caps.

Flown above the clouds and with a jet pack.

Yes, ‘I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere’.

I’ve been to biology, geology, entomology and technology.

I’ve been to gluon, lepton, photon and proton.

I’ve been to CSIRO, DSTO, ANSTO, ipso facto.

Yes I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere.

 

And I’ve listened to people tell me their tales.

What they fear and what they believe to be true.

GMOs and climate change and chemical trails.

Infant vaccination, alternative medicines and UFOs.

 

I’ve watched ideas be replaced by ideologies.

And I Know What I Do Is Vital!

AIK-WIDIV as an acronym

Vitae – in Latin.

 

These are my stories.

 

For ‘I f***ing love science communications’

And these are my heroes – ‘upon whose shoulders I have stood’

Robyn Williams, Carin Bondar, Carl Sagan, Peter Pockley, Derek Muller, David Ellyard, Neil Tyson, Brian Cox, Richard Attenborough, Julian Cribb – and so many others.

Not because they make science fun – or funky – or spunky,

But because they make it relevant

Because they make me want to know more, without me knowing I want to know more

Because they are as sharp as ‘Ockham’s Razor’

And as engaging as ‘Wild Sex’

And as true as ‘Veritasium’

 

And I know that somewhere, some place, something incredible is waiting to be known.

And I am going to tell its story.

For I Am A Science Communicator!

Ergo sum a sciential communicare – in Latin

FIAASC as an acronym.

 

These are my stories

THESE are my stories!

 

I am pleased to announce there is one nomination for the position of National President of Australian Science Communicators for the upcoming AGM: Assoc Prof Joan Leach.

Joan has been nominated by Claire Harris and seconded by Nancy Longnecker.

Please see below for Joan’s nomination statement.

For more information on the AGM: http://wp.me/p1Zzkn-kGi

– Sarah Lau, National Secretary 

 

Assoc Prof Joan Leach

j.leach@uq.edu.au

 

I am keen to become ASC’s next President and to work with the National Council and executive to further strengthen ASC in 2014. I have already given some thought about a few of the issues (some discussed quite recently in the ASC online community) that I would pursue over the next year, if elected President.

 

First, though, a bit of background on me might be useful. I am Associate Professor and Convenor of the Postgraduate program in Science Communication at the University of Queensland. Having moved from Imperial College, London (Science Communication Group) and prior to that, the University of Pittsburgh (Rhetoric of Science Program), I am about to celebrate my 10^th anniversary in Brisbane. Over that time, I have cemented my place in Australia’s science communication community both on the academic front and on the practical front. I have global experience in science communication research and training and I frequently serve as reviewer, committee member and examiner for programs, PhDs and projects around the world. I publish in the field and have edited a tier 1 journal where I continue to serve on editorial board. I am also involved in Federal steering committees and have collaborated on practical science communication projects around the world. While I am first and foremost an academic, I always have an eye on applicability.

 

I am enormously proud of the growth of the field of science communication; some of my first students in science communication are now at the top of the field in media organisations, scientific institutions, NGOs, consultancies, and academia. Part of that pride resides in the diversity of what my students have done. I see Science Communication as a big umbrella that covers activity in science journalism and media, community engagement, informal education, advocacy, policy, evaluation, and research (and probably much more besides). I have always thought that this was the strength of the field. I also am currently on the National Committee for the History and Philosophy of Science at the Academy of Science. I have advocated strongly in this group that science communication is central not only to science, but also contributes to a broader awareness of what science means (and has meant), what the nature of science is, and how communication is central to both the doing and the dissemination of science.

 

Finally, why do I want to do this now? Over the last few years, my involvement in the “Inspiring Australia” strategy has meant opportunity to work with a wide range of ASC members. I value my fellow academic colleagues in Australia enormously (indeed, we rely on each other) and I’ve been inspired by what ASC members do when they are given resources and encouragement. I have been active in supporting the 2014 ASC conference in Brisbane and think some of our important conversations will have pride of place then. I also have had the opportunity while visiting colleagues to go along to regional ASC meetings (some very robust, others needing a bit of a boost) and am aware of the different issues on the burner across the country. I have personally gained from being a member of ASC and of the science communication community in Australia—I have gained knowledge, insight, and professional support from ASC. I will now put my hand up in hopes of returning some of what I’ve gained.

 

The Issues:

Raising awareness of the field

While I think the field of science communication is increasingly recognised and respected, the ASC needs to be a continual presence on the national scene. ASC should be the ‘go to’ organisation when policy-makers and other institutions have questions about the field. I was somewhat taken aback in 2012 when the Office of Learning and Teaching wanted to create guidelines for Science Communication teaching and practice—and had no idea whom to ask. This is just one example of how important it is to have an advocate for the organization across research, teaching and learning, and engagement. Members in the ASC do all of these things and the organisation needs that recognition. I will make it a priority to move ASC and its members to the front of minds of key organisations when they are thinking about science and communication.

 

Benchmarking/Certification/’Professionalisation’

This issue is part of a conversation that Rod Lamberts and Will Grant pursued at the start of this year. I would like to pick up this conversation with members. On the one hand, we now have data from Inspiring Australia about the kinds of engagement and communication that goes on in Australia. We are well-placed to benchmark our activity globally and part of ASC’s mission has been to make these activities and their evaluation visible to ASC members (thank you Jesse Shore, Jenni Metcalfe, and Nancy Longnecker). Certification and professionalisation in the field are trickier matters worthy of cautious investigation. On a practical front, though, one interesting emerging trend in MOOCs is to use them for continuing professional development and even certification in key or emerging skills (I recently did the data visualisation course from the Knight Centre in the US). AusSMC is great partner here in online briefings and I know ASC members who do similar things. This will be something I will explore with members over the coming year.

 

Special Interest Groups

At least one of these already exists within ASC. The SCERN (Science Communication Education and Research Network) spearheaded by Professor Sue Stocklmayer at ANU met 4 years ago in Canberra. The conversations that started there have continued and have actually placed this network in good stead for helping to impact and participate in (and even constructively criticise) the “Inspiring Australia” programs when they arrived. Online, members seem to have an appetite for more of these. I will make it a priority to investigate what ASC can do to ‘seed’ more of these productive networks of members.

 

Ethical Guidelines/Code

I have listened to the debates about ethical guidelines for science communication with great interest. Some of you may know that Iowa State University held its 3 conference on Science Communication Ethics in 2013 (and are putting together a useful volume from the discussions there). This issue has local interest as well as global interest—it seems time we put it higher on the agenda for ASC. We can certainly pursue this in February at the ASC conference in Brisbane as well as at regional meetings and online. A national guideline does not seem out of reach. More conversation about applying such a guideline is probably needed. I’d be very keen to have those conversations.

 

The Australian Science Communicators
is proud to present the
Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication Award

The award will be presented during the
Australian Science Communicators National Conference
2–5 February 2014 in Brisbane.

 ASC Unsung Hero Award 2013 Nomination Form – Entry

The Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication is an initiative of the Australian Science Communicators. The ASC offers this award to honour a person (or group of people) who exemplifies science communication. The award is intended to recognise those whose contribution has been so significant over a period of time that they should by now have been recognised.

 

Criteria

The criteria for nomination for the Unsung Hero of Australian Science Communication are:

1. Nominees must reside in Australia and be actively engaged in science* communication, interpreted broadly to include, but not limited to, pursuits such as:

• teaching,
• broadcasting,
• script and book writing,
• science shows,
• science promotion and
• interpretation of science within institutions.

* The definition here is broad and includes science, technology and innovation. Also refer to criterion 5.

2. The work for which the nominee is being nominated must have been carried out in Australia.

3. Nominees, whether a person, people or group, should not have received significant recognition for their contribution to science and its promotion. This will almost certainly rule out a ‘top’ or well-known science communicator. The nominee will need to show that they regard science communication as an integral part of scientific endeavour.

4. Nominees should have a considerable or prolonged record (at least several years) in science communication.

Therefore it is unlikely that this would apply to a candidate whose contribution, however significant, is of short duration.

5. Nominators must give careful consideration to what counts as ‘science’ – for example, nominees from technological or environmental fields should be nominated not just on the basis of their contribution to those particular fields, but because the scientific side of their work is strong and their communication contributes to a better understanding of the process and practice of science.

Notes:

This award may be made to a candidate whose work is in education, promotion or communication in one or many fields but where the science component of their work is highly significant.

Benefits of the award

The Unsung Hero award recognises and celebrates excellence in science communication, and is presented at a national level. The scope of the award is not covered in existing national science award programs, and therefore, the Unsung Hero award provides a unique opportunity to celebrate the attributes and practices of science communicators.

For example, a science communication practitioner, this is a valuable acknowledgement of their work and efforts as identified by their peers. As another example, for a scientist who communicates science, the Unsung Hero award recognises the value of their communication efforts and the fact that this work complements their scientific achievements.

The award may help a recipient to focus attention on their efforts, give them greater credibility in their work and raise awareness of the scientific topics that they communicate.

 

Selection process

Selection is based solely on the written information provided on the nomination form.

A selection committee of representatives from the Australian Science Communicators will assess all nominations and determine the award recipient.

In some instances the selection committee may request further information before making their final decision.

The Australian Science Communicators reserves the right to make no awards should the judges consider that the quality of candidates does not warrant awards, or should the nominated candidate(s) not satisfy the selection criteria.

 

Award nominations

ASC Unsung Hero Award 2013 Nomination Form – Entry

Requirements for Award Nomination

The nominator must be a financial member of the ASC, but the nominee need not be a member. The nominator should first consult with the nominee and referees to ensure the nominee is aware of, and consents to, the application.

Each nomination must comprise a fully completed award nomination form.

Preferable length: 2 pages.

 

Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 13 December 2013.

 

Nomination enquiries to
Sarah Lau
slau@chemcentre.wa.gov.au

Send completed nominations to
Ms Kali Madden
Executive Officer – Australian Science Communicators
PO Box 13, Billinudgel, NSW 2483
Email: office@asc.asn.au