ASC2018 - 11-15 Nov, Sydney

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Stereotypes: A Choice

When: Monday 12th November, 10:25am – 12:55pm
Where: L2, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #M6

Does gender matter when it comes to science communication? What about intersectionality? This session will explore how identity and demographics can influence opportunity for science communicators (and professionals within STEM more broadly) and what strategies can be employed to target self-perception and reframe gender stereotypes. This interactive session is designed to get you thinking and talking to others in the field in engaging, thought provoking activities.

Presenter

Merryn McKinnon, Lecturer, Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, The Australian National University

 

 

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Impact and Engagement: What can Australia and the UK Learn from Each Other?

When: Monday 12th November, 11:55am – 12:55pm
Where: L1, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #M8

The landscape of science communication and public engagement (PE) in the UK has changed dramatically in the last decade; many people now speak of an increasing ‘impact agenda’ in the higher education sector, which has led to many considering science communication and PE as being integral to the research process. The introduction of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), and subsequently the inclusion of Impact Case Studies, has had a significant influence on this by enabling academics to demonstrate both the social and economic impacts of their research. These changing attitudes has seen higher education institutions develop the infrastructure for delivering PE activities, such as professional staff responsible for coordinating and delivering PE, and many UK bodies awarding funding provided impact can be shown. With the introduction the Excellence in Research for Australia and now the Engagement and Impact Assessment will there be a similar shift in attitude towards PE in Australia? This interactive session will compare and contrast the approaches of both countries and harness collective knowledge to make an action plan that science communicators can use to help further integration of PE into academia. Participants are strongly encouraged to share their own experiences and bring along examples of successful case studies.

Session Producers/Workshop Facilitators

Lizzie Crouch, Senior Coordinator of Engagement, SensiLab, Monash University

Djuke Veldhuis, Course Director, Global Challenges, Monash University

Workshop Facilitator

David Robertson, Lecturer, Monash University

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Scicomm in a not-for-profit: a two-way street

When: Tuesday 13th November, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T9

Dr Alison Gould1, Jemma Falkenmire1 and Jessica Van Coppenhagen2
Australian Red Cross Blood Service
1 Sydney Processing Centre, 17 O’Riordan St Alexandria NSW 2015
2 National Office, Level 3, 417 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004

From “too sciencey” to “give us more”, this presentation will showcase how science communication can contribute to the strategic goals of a healthcare organisation, using the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (Blood Service) as an example.
The Blood Service provides life-changing products and services to patients and health-care providers throughout Australia. Our work is supported by a multidisciplinary team of research scientists embedded within an organisation of some 3500 staff, many of whom are not scientifically trained.
Scientific Communications was introduced as a dedicated role in our R&D team four years ago. Since then, it has contributed significantly to growing the organisation’s social media following, choosing research directions and translating research outcomes into practice at the Blood Service and beyond.
We showed that our audience has a strong appetite for science when we achieved viral success with a video describing some of our research. Our presentation will describe the anatomy of this success, and how it contributed to our organisation’s overall goals.
Since then, we have found that linking the world of research, media and social media through close collaboration has provided benefits for all of these groups.
Demand for science content, which was initially met with scepticism, has increased to the point where “too much science is barely enough”. From the perspective of our media team, provision of science builds solid relationships with journalists, which in the long-term can facilitate media call outs when we need to call for additional donations.
We will provide specific examples of our collaborative practices and the benefits delivered across our teams, including the ability to capture the attention of mainstream journalists, provide growth for our social media platforms, increase the reach of our research communications, conduct strategically aligned research and attract new collaborators for our researchers.

Session

Case studies: Lessons from the experts

Presenter

Dr Alison Gould, Scientific Communications Specialist, Australian Red Cross Blood Service

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Actions, Not Words – Achieving Gender Equity in STEM

When: Monday 12th November, 1:55pm – 3:25pm
Where: L2, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #M12

The Australian Academy of Science and the Academy of Technology and Engineering are developing a Women in STEM Decadal Plan – a 10-year roadmap for sustained increase in women’s STEM participation and progression from school through to careers in all sectors. Science communicators are uniquely placed across multiple sectors, giving them a broad ranging perspective of challenges faced by female and female identifying members of the STEM community. They are also likely to be part of the mechanisms involved in implementing any form of plan or strategic initiative to enhance gender equity in STEM, a challenging communication task. For any Plan or initiative like this to succeed it requires sector, and societal, ‘buy in’. This interactive session will provide participants with an opportunity to see an exposure draft of the plan and discuss its implications and challenges for those working in the STEM, and science/STEM communication fields. How do science communicators best communicate within their sectors to elevate female participation in STEM, engage the necessary stakeholders and collaborate to enact change which will shape future STEM participation in Australia?

Session Producer/Workshop Facilitator:

Merryn McKinnon, Policy Analyst, Women in STEM Decadal Plan, Australian Academy of Science

Workshop Facilitators:

Sandra Gardam, Policy Analyst, Australian Academy of Science

Emily Finch, Research and Policy Officer, Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering

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Sydney Science Festival in Review: Audiences, Motivations and Modes of Engagement

When: Tuesday 13th November, 9:15am – 11:15am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T3

Featuring more than 200 events in 2018, the Sydney Science Festival (SSF) celebrates and showcases Sydney’s diverse and multidisciplinary science and innovation community through a program of talks, hands-on workshops, exhibitions and family events exploring all areas of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM). Since its inception in 2015, the Sydney Science Festival has seen yearly growth and is the largest science festival in Australia happening during National Science Week. In 2017, the Festival attracted more than 70,000 audience members to science events throughout Sydney and more are expected in 2018*. The 2018 Sydney Science Festival presented a diverse program of events ranging from large hands-on free family events in parks, lunchtime talks with experts to performative science-themed events for intergenerational audiences. The growing momentum behind the Sydney Science Festival demonstrates an appetite for meaningful opportunities to meet experts and learn about science in formal and informal social settings.

In this proposed case study, I will present the results of 2018 Sydney Science Festival report and audience evaluation, highlighting audience profiles and discussing what motivates audiences to attend the Sydney Science Festival. This will provide insight into the effectiveness of Festivals and similar programs and will identify future opportunities to engage with new and returning science audiences.

*2018 results currently being collected

Session

Case studies: Cultural Institutions and Festivals

Presenter

Catherine Polcz, Program Producer (Science), Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

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Pint of Science – the evolution of the Australian festival

Pint of Science JiranaWhen: Tuesday 13th November, 9:15am – 11:15am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T3

What better way is there to learn about cutting-edge research than over a brew?

Well, it’s nothing new … it’s science in the pub. It’s been done before, and we’d almost be brave enough to guess that almost all the science communicators at the 2018 ASC conference are pub-science veterans. So how is Pint of Science anything more than just another pub event? What makes us different? And why do volunteers, speakers and venues want to get involved?

In this talk, we’ll pull apart what makes Pint of Science unique by looking at the ways the festival engages its audience, speakers, volunteers and sponsors. In doing so, we will outline the recent evolution of the Australian festival and conclude with some forward thinking about how Pint of Science will continue to contribute to the broader Australian science communication landscape.

https://www.pintofscience.com.au

Session

Case studies: Cultural Institutions and Festivals

Presenter

Dr Tom Carruthers, Senior Content Producer, Australian Academy of Science and National Director, Pint of Science Australia

Jirana Boontanjai, National Director, Pint of Science Australia

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Speed mentoring: short shots of career tips

When: Tuesday 13th November, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Where: L3, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #T11

Meet senior science communicators from all parts of the industry and find out their tips for success.

Mentors include Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, journalists from ABC, Fairfax and Nature, people from large organisations like Questacon and Universities, successful freelancers, senior ASC figures and more.

In small groups of similar interests you’ll spend ten minutes with a few mentors, getting their thoughts and asking some questions.

Could be the inspiration for your future career!

** Spaces strictly limited, RSVP for this session during registration. **

** All attending this session will be listed on this session page as they register to attend. **

Session Producer, Workshop facilitator, Presenter

Dr Phil Dooley, Galactic Commander, Phil Up On Science and ASC national vice-president

Mentors

Karl Kruszelnicki (Broadcaster and author) was given this good advice early in his media career: “Avoid opinions, stick to the facts”. Sometimes, you’re lucky.

Broderick Matthews (Acting National Programs Manager, Questacon) began his sci comm journey playing security guard Max Power in a CSI-style murder mystery. Since then he’s travelled from Broome to Bourke with Questacon, exploring the science behind bagpipes, the technology in game controllers, the engineering in play dough and the maths of catapulting cream pies.

Craig Cormick (ASC National President) has been a science communicator for over 25 years, working inside government agencies like Questacon and the CSIRO, as well as outside and around them, and now runs his own company – specialising in risk communication and community engagement.

Stephen Pincock (Nature) was a science journalist at Reuters, The Scientist and the Financial Times before writing popular science books and working as a science book publisher. He now leads a global editorial operation that includes Nature’s careers and supplements journalists and a team that helps institutions tell their science stories on the world stage.

Dr Bobby Cerini (Deputy Director and General Manager, Science and Learning A/g, Questacon) is currently the acting Deputy Director and General Manager of Science and Learning at Questacon. She works to ensure that science learning and engagement outcomes throughout Australia are met through the programs and exhibits run by Questacon.

Penny Palmer (Catalyst, ABC) As an ex-BBC now ABC science television programme maker, the secret to Dr Penny Palmer’s success is her curiosity and desire to understand how the world ticks – she studied parasitic Crustacea living inside starfish for her PhD. That’s a keen sense of curiosity.

Genelle Weule (ABC Science) started out with a health sciences degree. Then she became a journalist and embraced the internet when it was still spelt with a capital “I”. Today she is a senior science reporter, editor and digital producer at ABC Science covering everything from astronomy to zoology.

Jenni Metcalfe (Director, Econnect Communication) has been a science communicator for almost 30 years because she couldn’t decide what to be when she grew up: scientist or journalist. She still can’t decide and she still hasn’t grown up, but she loves bringing science to life through words, images and good old fashioned conversation.

James Hutson (Explanation designer, Explanovision) is a writer, illustrator & animator who creates clear & engaging explanations of complex information for non-experts and has been involved in the visual communication of science for over 20 years.

Lisa Bailey (Exhibition Manager, MOD & ASC National Vice-President) has worked in cultural institutions in the UK and Australia.  At the Royal Institution of Australia she helped design hundreds of science engagement events for communities across Australia, including producing the SCINEMA International Science Film Festival.  She’s now at MOD. at UniSA, designing exhibitions for Australia’s leading future-focused museum, provoking new ideas at the intersection of science, art and innovation.

Lizzie Crouch (Senior Coordinator of Engagement, SensiLab, Monash University) still finds it incredibly difficult to define what she does, having worked as documentary maker, journalist and presenter, art season producer and public engagement consultant (among others things!). But she’s committed to interdisciplinary approaches that create inspiring, engaging opportunities for new conversations around scientific content!

Marcus Strom (Media Advisor, University of Sydney) has a science degree but accidentally became a journalist while living in London last century. Recently was science reporter for Sydney Morning Herald.

Marina Hurley (Director, Writing Clear Science) In the distant past, Marina did a PhD on Stinging Trees. She now specialises in teaching how to write clearly, concisely and efficiently – and plays flamenco percussion on her days off.

Phil Dooley (Phil Up On Science and ASC National Vice-President) As a freelancer and in research institutions Phil has run physics workshops for thousands of high schoolers, written for publishers such as Nature and Cosmos, and told bad science jokes in pubs.

Toss Gascoigne (Visiting Fellow, ANU) walked into a job with CSIRO knowing nothing, but ended up running 1700 communication training workshops for scientists, inventing ‘Science meets Parliament’, running a national advocacy body for science and helping establish Australian Science Communicators.

Jen Martin (Senior Lecturer in Science Communication, University of Melbourne) used to study the sex lives of possums. A decade ago, she founded the scicomm teaching program at UniMelb. She’s been talking science on 3RRR radio for the last 12 years, writes a popular science blog and also loves writing about science for kids in Double Helix magazine.

Attendees

Andy Stapleton, CEO and Founder of verbalize.science
Anna Attard, Research Assistant and Masters Student, University of New South Wales
Anne-Sophie Dielen, The Australian National University
Dr Astha Singh, Vice President | ASC NSW, ASC
Caleb McElrea, University of Melbourne
Catharina Vendl, University of New South Wales
Dr Catherine Dorey, Consultant, Fish & Fisheries | Science Communication | Campaign Strategy
Catherine Healy, Science Communication Advisor, Environment Protection Authority Victoria
Catherine Somerville, Doherty Institute
Clare Watson, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Emma Saville, EPA Victoria
Errol Hunt, FLEET: ARC Centre of Excellence
Jackie Randles, Manager Inspiring Australia NSW, Inspiring Australia
Jane Ilsley, Econnect Communication
Jessica Heinemann, Centre for Biopharmaceutical Innovation – UQ
Jun-Ting Yeung, University of Melbourne
Kimberly Cullen, Managing Director, Crafting Astronomy Communication
Laura McCaughey, UTS
Lee Byrne, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre
Matt Nurse, Masters degree candidate, CPAS, Australian National University
Meagan Vella, NPWS
Melina Gillespie, Communication Advisor, CSIRO Energy
Micaela Jemison, Science Communicator, Smithsonian Institution
Michael Helman, Communicatrium
Michelle Neil, Australian Citizen Science Association
Michelle Riedlinger, Associate Professor, University of Fraser Valley, Canada
Naomi Koh Belic, University of Technology Sydney
Nicole Fetchet, Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre
Rachel Rayner, Science Communicator, Australian Volunteers Program
Rebecca Blackburn
Ruth Redfern, CRDC
Sally Grosvenor, CDPC, University of Sydney
Sarah Buchan, The Mullion Group
Sheryn Pitman, Programme Manager Inspiring South Australia, South Australian Museum
Susan Rauch, Lecturer, professional writing (science and technology), Massey University, School of English and Media Studies
Tyrone Anderson, ASPIRE – UNSW

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Questions? Please contact Kali on asc2018@asc.asn.au.

Acknowledgements

© 2018 Australian Science Communicators

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