PCST doctoral summer school, July 2015

The PCST Network is delighted to announce a summer school for doctoral researchers in science communication in association with this year’s Science in Public conference. It will run on 7-8 July 2015 at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol.

The summer school is supported by the PCST network and is being organised by academics at UWE, Dublin City University, University of Delft and University College London.

Registration for the summer school is now closed.

Summer School Programme ( PDF )

List of participants (PDF)

Tuesday 7 July 2015

09.00-10.00 Welcome and introductions – including summary presentation of participants’ projects in context of recent PhD research (Maarten v. d. Sanden)

10.00-11.00 Talk: Models of science communication (Maja Horst)

11.00-11.30 Coffee

11.30-13.00 Workshop: selected participants (one-third) present their projects in context of discussion of models; responses by Maja Horst supported by Maarten van der Sanden

13.00-14.00 Lunch

14.00-15.00 Practical session on academic writing and publishing, including impact factors and open access (Emma Weitkamp)

15.00-16.00 Talk: Science communication research: trends and topics in the literature (Brian Trench)

16.00-16.15 Coffee

16.15-17.45 Workshop: selected participants (one-third) present their projects in context of history / current hot topics; responses by Brian Trench supported by Clare Wilkinson

18:00 Dinner

---

Wednesday 8 July 2015

09.00-10.00 Talk: Researching the science-media interface: issues of theory and method (Hans Peter Peters)

10.00-11.30 Workshop: selected participants (one-third) present their projects in context of social science methods discussion; responses by Hans Peter Peters supported by Padraig Murphy

11.30-12.00 Coffee

12.00-13.30 Practical session on integrating public engagement into PhD and later research (Laura Fogg Rogers, Ann Grand, Margarida Sardo)

13.30-14.30 Lunch

14.30-16.00 Workshop: participants review each other’s work in 3 small groups

16.00-16.30 Coffee

16.30-18.00 Roundtable: From PhD research to academic career – lessons and cautions (Clare Wilkinson; Maarten v. d. Sanden; Padraig Murphy; Karen Bultitude)

17.00-18.00 Wrap-up and feedback

18:00 Dinner

---

Summer school tutors

Dr Karen Bultitude is a senior lecturer in the department of Science and Technology Studies at University College London. Her research interests are concentrated on science communication in face-to-face and digital environments. She also acts as an external consultant, delivering training courses and conducting project evaluations and she holds various advisory roles within the UK Research Councils.

Dr Ann Grand is a Research Fellow in Science Communication at UWE, Bristol, working on collaborative projects that focus on the embedding of public engagement within research. Ann has over ten years’ experience in informal science communication, as the volunteer web host for the national and international café scientifique network.

Dr Maja Horst is Head of the Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, University of Copenhagen, where she lectures in science and technology studies, communication theory and strategic, political and risk communication, among other topics. She has published numerous papers reflecting on the Danish experience in public participation in science and on key topics and concepts in science communication. She is currently working on a book, with colleague Dr Sarah Davies, on models of science communication.

Dr Padraig Murphy is a lecturer in science communication at Dublin City University and co-ordinator of the Masters in Science Communication and of the Celsius research group. He is also director of the university’s Societal Impact Platform. His research interests are in science communication; public participation in, and representations of, science and technology; pedagogy and identities; emerging technologies and new media in education.

Dr Hans Peter Peters is a social scientist at the Research Center Jülich, Germany, and Adjunct Professor at the Free University of Berlin, with particular interests in public communication of science, technology and scientific expertise, reception and effects of mass media coverage of science and technology and social contexts of the neurosciences. Twenty years ago, he published a paper on the interactions of scientists and journalists, one of the most frequently cited papers in science communication. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of the International Network on Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) and serves on the editorial boards of Public Understanding of Science and Journal of Science Communication – JCOM and the editorial advisory board of Science Communication.

Laura Fogg Rogers is a trained science journalist with extensive experience of working in the media and with the public. She joined UWE, Bristol, in 2013 as a Research Fellow in Science Communication and develops communication and research collaboration opportunities for scientists in the Faculty of Environment and Technology. She lectures on the Masters in Science Communication and her current research projects include an evaluation of education outreach for the Royal Society.

Dr Maarten van der Sanden is an assistant professor in science communication in Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, who lectures on the Masters in Science Communication. His research interests are focused on social design for effective science communication processes and interaction between science communication practice and theory. He previously worked as a science journalist and science information officer.

Dr Margarida Sardo is a Research Fellow in the Science Communication Unit at UWE, Bristol, where she has worked on projects funded by British and Portuguese agencies. Her research interests include good practice in science communication, informal learning, science contributions to environmental policy-making and evaluation methodologies.

Brian Trench is a science communication researcher and trainer, formerly senior lecturer and head of department in Dublin City University. He is co-editor with M. Bucchi of Routledge Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology (2^nd edition 2014) and of Critical Concepts in Sociology – Public Communication of Science (forthcoming, 2015, from Routledge). He is president of the International Network on Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) and serves on the editorial board of Journal of Science Communication – JCOM.

Dr Emma Weitkamp is an associate professor in science communication at UWE and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Science Communication – JCOM. She teaches on the Masters in Science Communication, which she helped establish. Her research interests are in the intersections of science journalism, public relations and policy and she also engages in practical science communication projects, including science-arts collaborations.

Dr Clare Wilkinson is an associate professor in Science Communication at UWE, Bristol, teaching on postgraduate science communication courses, contributing to evaluation projects and holding consultancy roles for projects for research councils and government departments. She has published in journals such as PLOS ONE, Public Understanding of Science, Science Communication, Qualitative Health Research and Health, Risk and Society. She is co-author of Nanotechnology, Risk and Communication (2009) and is currently co-authoring a book on research communication (with Emma Weitkamp) for Manchester University Press.