ASC2020 - 16-19 Feb, Melbourne

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Participatory science communication for creating needed social change

Session will look at:
* What participatory science communication is, and why it has the power to create change
* Case studies of participatory science communication – long term and short term – to see what works or not (including at least one citizen science example)
* Barriers for participatory science communication, especially institutional will and resources, and opportunities to overcome these
* Roles for science communicators, scientists and other publics

 

Presenters

Jenni Metcalfe, Director, Econnect Communication

Jennifer Manyweathers, Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Biosecurity, Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Charles Sturt University and NSW Department of Primary Industry

Michelle Riedlinger, University of Fraser Valley, Canada

Rod Kennett, Senior Manager for STEM Content, Questacon

Anne Leitch, Adjunct researcher / casual senior editor, Griffith University / NatureResearch

When: Tuesday 18th February, 2:00pm-3:30pm

Where: Room G02, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

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Are we making progress as Australian Science Communicators?

Have we made progress in the last eight years? Updating findings of the 2012 participatory evaluation of the ASC conference.

A participatory evaluation session was run at the 2012 ASC conference, you can see some of the key outcomes on the picture to the right:  these were framed as a vision for the future in which scicom had been effective.

Have we made progress on some of these themes? Are other themes now more important? What aspects are within science communicators’ control and which aren’t? How do these align with other priorities?

 

What will participants gain from attending your session?

– understanding of purposes of science communication, clarifying own perspectives & comparing with others

– developing shared understanding of indicators for tracking progress in science communication, potentially for people to then use in their own work

– evaluation of the conference in a participatory format while people are gathered, more engaging than survey.

 

Presenters

Cobi Calyx, UNSW Centre for Social Impact

Lisa Bailey, ASC President

Jenni Metcalfe, Director, Econnect Communication

 

When: Wednesday 19th February, 13:50pm-15:25pm

Where: Room G31, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

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Communicating research for impact: making a difference in northern Australia

An efficient way for research to make an impact is when it is communicated effectively to those in positions to effect change.

An integrated research program in northern Australia under the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program is informing policy and supporting better management decisions by undertaking world-class research and delivering it with targeted and purposeful science communication.

With the research program in its final year, the engagement with research users – federal and state government departments, Traditional Owners and land managers – has shifted towards synthesising knowledge and delivering research results, in ways and at times that are most relevant to the user.

Communication products and activities include story maps, videos, factsheets, forums, workshops, presentations and targeted meetings.

The impact of research results is underpinned by early and ongoing engagement with research users to scope what projects were needed and identify possible integration with existing management and policy timelines that identified clear purposes for the research.

This presentation will highlight how our science communication approach is leading to specific cases of impact for environmental management in northern Australia.

 

How will your session be structured?
20-minute presentation with 10 minutes for questions.

 

What type of session will this be?
Practice insights: speakers describe, demonstrate and/or evaluate specific science communication practices., Demonstrations: presenting innovative science communication practices with a commentary on their application and effectiveness.

 

What will participants gain from attending your session?
This presentation will show how engagement with research users and targeted science communication is increasing impact of research in northern Australia. Attendees will gain insight into innovative communication methods and how we address challenges of access and scale in northern Australia to deliver effective communication.

 

Presenter

Patch Clapp, Communications Officer, NESP Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub

 

Co-authors

Jane Thomas, Science Communicator, NESP Northern Australia Hub

 

When: Monday 17th February, 12:30pm-1:00pm
Where: Room G01, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

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Breaking down the wall of science communication.

This presentation will explain a unique opportunity to participate in a global hub of science communicators.
Engage is a program run by the Falling Walls Foundation in Berlin. It culminates in an annual competition but the program is much more about collaboration and sharing methods to communicate science.
The Australian Academy of Science will be establishing a regional hub for Engage in 2020. This session will describe details of the hub and invite ASC members to participate.
Participants will also learn about the Academy’s innovative program for science communication.

Presenters

Dr Paul Richards, Director of Communications and Outreach, Australian Academy of Science

 

When: Monday 17th February, 2:00pm-3:30pm

Where: Room G01, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

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How the Australian Academy of Science measures and applies Diversity and Inclusion

Women are still underrepresented across STEM fields. When it comes to diversity and inclusion, visibility matters. Join the Australian Academy of Science for a conversation around how scientific organisations can better incorporate diversity into their activities, how to track and measure your diversity and inclusion goals, and what barriers may be encountered along the way.

Hear about how the Academy is driving diversity and inclusion in science through policy initiatives such as the Women in STEM Decadal Plan and communications and outreach strategies that normalise diversity. But there’s still plenty of work to do. Bring your experience to the table and come ready to workshop ideas for how all of us can improve and do better.

How will your session be structured?
A brief presentation with an overview of the Academy’s Diversity and Inclusion projects as well as communication strategies to record and track diversity and inclusion.
Then facilitation of an open discussion to workshop various scenarios to create a conversation about the issue.

What will participants gain from attending your session?

Participants will gain a better understanding of ways to track diversity and inclusion in their own projects, plus a better understanding of what diversity and inclusion means in science communication

Presenters

Dr Tom Carruthers, Digital Strategist, Australian Academy of Science
Emma Berthold, Science Editor, Australian Academy of Science

 

When: Monday 17th February, 12:00pm-1:00pm

Where: Room G31, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

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Effective engagement with Policy Makers

How do policymakers come to decisions? Why do scientific “truths” sometimes get ignored? What influence if any can scientists have on the process?

This session from a science-trained policy wonk will help you get inside the head of a policymaker and understand what is going on in there. Learn how to get on the agenda and have fruitful discussions that create real change.

 

Presenter

Dr Subho Banerjee, Research Program Director, Australia & New Zealand School of Gov’t (ANZSOG)

 

Session Producer

Dr Phil Dooley, Galactic Freelancer, Phil Up On Science, ASC National Secretary

 

When: Tuesday 18th February, 4:00pm-5:00pm

Where: Room G31, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton

Hashtag: TBC

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Stories of how scientists achieve social impact

In this recorded session, a panel of researchers will discuss how they’ve managed to achieve social impact, both within their research and beyond it. We will discuss motivations and enablers for achieving social impacts as researchers, considering as well how the experiences and backgrounds of researchers shape their social impact efforts.

The first half an hour will be curated discussion, followed by equal time for facilitated Q&A discussion.

The recording will be used in the new UNSW Masters course ‘Leading Science for Impact’; please bear this in mind if you contribute in discussion time.

 

What will participants gain from attending your session?

  • Understanding of types of social impact that researchers can achieve
  • Insights into how individual researchers experience their role in science communication and motivations/incentives/outcomes of their participation

MC/Session Chair

Cobi Calyx, Research Fellow in Science Communication, Centre for Social Impact, UNSW Sydney

Presenter

Summer Finlay, Lecturer and researcher, University of Wollongong, University of Canberra

Sandersan Onie, Postdoctoral Fellow, Black Dog Institute

 

When: Tuesday 19th February, 9:45am-10:45am
Where: Room G21, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

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Can we save our grandchildren? Inspiring change in an age of denial and despair

The planet is in melt down. Since the 1970s scientists have issued repeated warnings about global warming and of the catastrophic impacts on our planet and our survival unless we reduce carbon emissions . Yet as the scientific evidence mounts, the facts are deliberately obfuscated by political and institutional restraints and vested interests. No wonder many scientists report feelings of frustration, depression and despair.

The panel will discuss how scientists and science communicators can overcome these obstacles; how we can present the facts about the climate emergency and the array of interconnected existential threats in a way that resonates with people across all sectors of society and make a compelling case for taking action.

  • 10 to 15 minutes from each presenter
  • 15 to 20 minutes Q and A

What will participants gain from attending your session?

Practical ideas on how to reframe communication techniques and strategies

Session Producer/Session chair/Curator

Alison Leigh, Consultant to World Congress of Science and Factual Producers

Presenters

David Karoly, Leader Earth Systems and Climate Change, CSIRO

Alvin Stone, Media & Comms Manager, ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes

Sonya Pemberton, Film maker, Genepool productions

Lee Constable, Science Communicator and Broadcaster, Freelance

Cameron Muir, Freelance writer, editor and researcher

 

When: Monday 17th February, 10:15am-11:30am
Where: Room G31, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

 

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Breaking Business as Usual: Using creativity to imagine purpose and practice in the Radical Decade

We’re about to enter the Radical Decade. What will your story be?

We’re in a climate emergency. Teenagers are gluing themselves to bridges to protest systemic inaction. Protests and demonstrations are breaking out around the world. Yet thirty years after James Hansen’s testimony to US Congress, our civilisational supertanker plows on with emissions-as-usual. We’ve missed our opportunity to make incremental change, so the coming decade will need to be radical.

This experiential workshop will break down all of your assumptions about the role of science communication and ask you to back-cast your story around a very different future. When you look back in years to come, what story will you tell about the role you played in the radical decade? Combining creativity, improvisation, complexity and systems thinking, we’ll challenge you to radically reorient your own approach to science communication.

We’ll give you the tools to jump into the unknown, lean-in to risk and use creativity to thrive in a time of great uncertainty. You’ll leave with new possibilities that will help you re-imagine and re-shape the role you want to play in what will be humanity’s critical decade.

 

What will participants gain from attending your session?

Participants will be challenged to deeply interrogate their own assumptions and practice in order to find new ways to engage with audiences with creativity, empathy, courage and imagination. They will gain:

  • Increased awareness of structural, cultural and personal assumptions that constrain practice
  • The opportunity to reimagine their role in a decade that will require transformational change
  • Practice in using creativity and improvisation activities to spark empathy and imagination, lean-in to risk, learn to jump and embrace uncertainty
  • Strategies for rethinking the fundamentals of their work, drawn from very different domains of knowledge and practice
  • An opportunity to identify specific actions and methods to challenge, rethink and improve their practice on an ongoing basis

Session Producer/ Workshop facilitator

Vicki Kyriakakis, Storyteller, Improviser & Marketing Strategist, Monash Sustainable Development Institute

David Robertson, Connector, Science Communicator & Educator, Monash Sustainable Development Institute

 

When: Wednesday 19th February, 9:30am-10:30am & 11:00am-12:00 noon

Where: Room G31, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton

Hashtag: TBC

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Taking action – changing the way we communicate air quality data that affects peoples health

Victorians want to know how air quality affects their health. Particularly when there is an emergency nearby. EPA’s previous website that was used to communicate this information was designed by scientists, not the public. User research showed that the information was too confusing to understand. Using this user research, we designed a new website that does it’s best to balance scientific accuracy with user accessibility.

Delivering a radical shift to ‘community first’ has been a long process with multiple government and community stakeholders. I’ve had a lot of tough conversations with our scientists that revolve around “but what value does this give to the community member? You want it, but what about community?”

Come and see how two different systems compare when designed with two different users in mind.

 

What will participants gain from attending your presentation?

Attendees will get an understanding of how social research gets turned into a solution that works for the public

Presenter

Emma Saville, Science Communications Advisor, EPA Victoria

 

When: Wednesday 19th February, 12:05pm-12:50pm
Where: Room G31, Learning and Teaching Building, 19 Ancora Imparo Way, Clayton
Hashtag: TBC

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Questions? Please contact Kali on asc2020@asc.asn.au.

Acknowledgements

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