Script launches science communication award for Master’s degree students and graduates
Science-based Master’s degree students and graduates in Africa stand a chance to win an expenses-paid trip and two-day mentorship at The Conversation Africa by writing a clear, concise and jargon-free 800-word article about their research.
The Script Science Communication Award, in collaboration with Script’s partner, The Conversation Africa, is open to scientists who complete the free ‘Media Skills for Scientists’ online course. The prize will cover one winner’s flights, accommodation and subsistence up to a value of €1,000.
An experienced editor at The Conversation Africa will guide the winner to improve their article. SciDev.Net will publish the article in the Script section of its website and promote it on its social media channels.
The runner-up will get remote support from The Conversation Africa in editing their article. The third, fourth and fifth best will get written feedback on how they could improve their articles.
To enter the competition scientists should complete the submission form at the end of the ‘Media Skills for Scientists’ course and attach their article by November 15, 2019. The article should be written in plain language so non-scientists can read and understand it. The winner will be notified by December 15, 2019.
The course has 13 modules, most of which can be completed within an hour. Thus, a busy scientist who dedicates an hour a day to the course can complete it within 2-3 weeks.
Dr Charles Wendo, SciDev.Net training coordinator, said: “This is a very good opportunity for African scientists. The Conversation editors are highly experienced in working with researchers to produce plain-language articles. We’re grateful to The Conversation for partnering with Script and SciDev.Net to deliver this unique opportunity.”
Alex Storey, General Manager at The Conversation Africa, commented: “This competition is a great chance for scientists to see behind-the-scenes at The Conversation Africa’s newsroom and have an insight into our processes from pitch to publication.”
Script aims to increase the quantity and quality of science-related stories in Africa by providing skills and opportunities to scientists and journalists. The programme is funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and implemented by SciDev.Net.
The Conversation Africa is a news and analysis website that was launched in 2015. It is an independent, non-profit source of news and views from the academic and research community, delivered direct to the public, and attracts over 400,000 unique users to its site every month.
SciDev.Net is the world’s leading source of reliable and authoritative news, views and analysis about science and technology for global development.
Media contact:
Dr Charles Wendo, SciDev.Net training coordinator
Email: charles.wendo@scidev.net, training@scidev.net
