announcement

Join the next live cohort!

In 2024, we launched a live cohort where the participants had the opportunity to:

  • Complete the course with support from our team
  • Engage in live interactions with fellow participants
  • Practice Science Communication and receive valuable feedback from time to time
  • Attend specialised workshops

Note: The second cohort will launch in February 2025! The sign-ups start on January 2025.

Got questions? Shoot us an email at masteringscicomm@gmail.com or connect with us on Slack

About

Science is not completed until it is communicated. Though many scientists may agree, they often lack the resources required to develop their own science communication (SciComm) skills. We have developed a free, open-access, and comprehensive course on 'Mastering SciComm' with 5 experts worldwide. The course enables you to work on your SciComm portfolio and offers a digital certificate once completed! Our free course equips scientists with the essential skills in writing, presenting, social media, illustration, and best practices needed to realize the full potential of their research and make advances at the intersection of science and society.

Background

We surveyed current and past iGEMers on what science communication topics they would like to master. Here are the top 5:

  • Communicating to broad audiences
  • Communicating to a scientific audience
  • Social media
  • Science illustration
  • Best practices/Accessibility

We have recruited SciComm experts in these areas. Each has created recorded video lessons, followed by practice opportunities. Yes, there are assignments, but they're designed to aid you. The skills you will develop not only improve your projects but also your career! Each lesson ends with an assignment to reinforce concepts, evaluated by experts or our Steering Group. By course end, you'll have a SciComm Portfolio showcasing your new skills. We are excited to be launching our own course on Mastering Science Communication.

The course is completely free and accessible online at any time. The pre-recorded lessons are hosted on the iGEM Video Universe and linked to this webpage! The instructions for each assignment are posted below. Each lesson will be about 30 minutes long and the assignments are designed to take about 30-60 minutes (but feel free to spend more time perfecting them!).

How does it work?

  • Step 1: Enroll in the second cohort in 2025.
  • Step 2: Engage with video lessons, complete assignments, and participate in Feedback and Q&A sessions.
  • Step 3: Access support from the Mastering SciComm team whenever you need assistance.
  • Step 4: Earn a Certificate of Achievement upon successfully completing the course.
  • Step 5: Compile your assignments into a portfolio to showcase your skills. Exceptional portfolios will be featured on the Mastering SciComm website.

What will you achieve?

  • Learn about the best practices for effective and accessible science communication
  • Learn strategies for communicating to broad audiences
  • Understand how to leverage social media to share your science
  • Use science illustration to inform scientific concepts while bypassing language barriers
  • Develop hands-on skills using tools and resources to complete your own SciComm Portfolio
  • Earn a certificate of course completion

Curriculum Sneak-Peek

ExpertTitleVideo
Mastering Science Communication TeamWelcome to the course!
Joseph Opoku GakpoBest Practices in Science Communication: Mastering the Fundamentals
Etienne Raimondeau, PhDBasics of Science Illustration
Ipsa Jain, PhDVisual SciComm: Merging Science and Art
Isabel Mendoza PoudereuxDigital marketing for science communication
Joan ConrowCommunicating to broad audiences: Engaging with the media
Niko McCartyReaching scientists and Science Enthusiasts
Mastering Science Communication TeamCall to action: It is your turn now!

note

This course is independent of the iGEM Competition, and is not directed towards guiding you for medal and award eligibility. Any opinions expressed in this course are not reflective of any institution(s) with which we may be affiliated (except for iGEM Community).


Events

On September 6th, 2024, we hosted an Expert Talk on Careers in Science Communication! Three incredible speakers shared their learnings and experiences.


Experts
Etienne Raimondeau, PhD
Etienne Raimondeau, PhD
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Senior Scientist at Nanopore & Science illustrator @LaPipette - Topic: Scientific Illustration
Joan Conrow
Joan Conrow
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Journalist, Editor, Communications Consultant - Topic: Communicating to a Broad Audience
Ipsa Jain, PhD
Ipsa Jain, PhD
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Scientist & Science illustrator, ipsawonders.com - Topic: Scientific Illustration
Joseph Opoku Gakpo
Joseph Opoku Gakpo
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Science Journalist at Multimedia Group Limited (Joy FM) - Topic: Best Practices
Isabel Mendoza Poudereux
Isabel Mendoza Poudereux
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Chief Communications Officer at The Global Plant Council - Topic: Social Media
Niko McCarty, PhD
Niko McCarty, PhD
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Founder of the Codon Magazine, and Learning & Curriculum Specialist at MIT - Topic: Communicating to a Scientific Audience

Present Organizers
Larissa Markus
Larissa Markus
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Project Head, Project Member
Wageningen, Netherlands
Parvathy Venkateswaran
Parvathy Venkateswaran
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Project Head
Tamil Nadu, India
Safaa Elazab
Safaa Elazab
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Project Member
Giza, Egypt
Anguzu Simon
Anguzu Simon
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Project Member
Kampala, Uganda
Cecilia Gonzalez
Cecilia Gonzalez
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Project Member
La Paz, Bolivia
Nimra Khan
Nimra Khan
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Peshawar, Pakistan
Srimathi L.
Srimathi L.
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Ambassador - Asia & Oceania, Project Member
Hyderabad, India
Tumusiime Jacob
Tumusiime Jacob
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Uganda, Kampala
Deekshana A.
Deekshana A.
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Chennai, India
Arpita Kumar
Arpita Kumar
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Vapi, India
Nathalia Raquel de Souza Fernandes
Nathalia Raquel de Souza Fernandes
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Bragança, Portugal
Romita Trehan
Romita Trehan
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Wuerzburg, Germany

Past Organizers
Florence Stel
Florence Stel
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Leiden, Netherlands
Kevin Meza
Kevin Meza
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Santiago, Chile
Nicola Freyer
Nicola Freyer
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Göttingen, Germany
Shanthi Hegde
Shanthi Hegde
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Cumming, Georgia, United States of America
Shravan Balasubramaniam
Shravan Balasubramaniam
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Chennai, India
Uttara Jayashankar
Uttara Jayashankar
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Indiana, United States of America
Hassnain Qasim Bokhari
Hassnain Qasim Bokhari
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Pakistan
Ingrid Kolen
Ingrid Kolen
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Beta Tester
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Charity Serwaa
Charity Serwaa
Project Member
Ho, Ghana
Faustina Prima Martha
Faustina Prima Martha
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Jakarta, Indonesia
Roudlotul Jannah
Roudlotul Jannah
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Project Member
Pasuruan, Indonesia
Shing Fung (Sean) YAM
Shing Fung (Sean) YAM
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Project Member
Toronto, Canada
Nannan Jiang
Nannan Jiang
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Atlanta, United States of America
Marissa Sumathipala
Marissa Sumathipala
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Head
Cambridge, United States of America
Abrar Hasan
Abrar Hasan
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Promoter - Asia & Oceania, Project Member
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Ciara Varley
Ciara Varley
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Galway, Ireland
Libby Pollard
Libby Pollard
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Birmingham, UK