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Call for Papers

Communicating science and technology to the public has become an essential enterprise for research universities, national laboratories, science museums, foundations and granting agencies, other nonprofit scientific organizations and corporations. To advance the state of the art, a national conference on Best Practices for Public Communication of Science and Technology to the Public will be held Sept. 23-25 in the Washington, D.C. area.

Co-chaired by Joann Rodgers of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Earle Holland of Ohio State University, the conference aims to assemble a comprehensive set of "best practices" in communicating science and technology through an open call for papers. Entries will be judged by a panel of reviewers comprising distinguished science writers, educators, and researchers. Judging criteria will include the suitability of an entry to be adapted for use by a variety of research and education institutions. Individuals whose papers are selected will be expected to present their "best practices" at the September 2001 conference and will receive a travel stipend and complimentary conference registration.

During the conference, distinguished communicators will lead discussions on fundamental issues and challenges for science communicators, and selected participants will be asked to develop and interpret poster presentations describing their entries. The best-practice poster presentations also will be archived electronically for wider distribution following the conference.

The conference is held under the auspices of the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and is co-sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The meeting will be held at the NIST campus in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Gaithersburg, Md.

General Criteria
Best practice entries will describe programs implemented by research and education institutions designed to communicate scientific and/or technological advances and/or research in general to a variety of lay audiences. Individual communications vehicles or products such as news releases or videos will not be accepted. Rather, the reviewers will evaluate entries that describe programs for communicating science and technology, and for fostering strong public outreach. Processes and methods must be included, and entrants are encouraged to provide details of their program's "toolkits," such as print materials, interactive/electronic media, videos, animation and graphics, radio, slide shows, exhibits, events, and so on.

Best practice entries may describe the following:

  • targeted direct-to-public campaigns,
  • programs for general and special media,
  • museum-style exhibits,
  • innovative use and training of scientists or other technical spokespersons,
  • campaigns to inform political debate or change health behaviors,
  • programs to reach non-traditional or special audiences,
  • entertainment projects,
  • innovative use of advertising and other paid media,
  • public relations and earned-media projects,
  • and news-based endeavors.

Entries should include best practices that are adaptable with minimal modification by other research institutions and science-based organizations and enterprises; should strategically target one or more audiences; should include measures of effectiveness through evaluation and review; should clearly involve scientists/technical experts in the program; and should illuminate both the product and process of scientific research.

Categories
Entries will be accepted from all areas of science and technology, including but not limited to biomedical science, environmental science, social sciences, biotechnology, and physical sciences. All entries must include substantive scientific content.

Entries may include public information and earned (free) media programs, paid media (advertising, infomercials) and/or special projects as components.

Lastly, entries should fit into one or more of the following six categories:

1. Direct to Consumer Programs
2. Scientist-based Programs
3. Programs for General Media
4. Programs for Specialized Media
5. Programs for Legislators and Opinion Leaders
6. Programs intended for Children (outside of classroom instruction)

Eligibility
Entries will be considered from research-sponsoring institutions such as universities, government agencies, corporations, or non-profit organizations, from public education institutions such as museums or non-profit web-based enterprises, or from third parties engaged by these entities in their communications efforts. International entries are welcome.

Submissions
Deadline for submitting entries is 16 July 2001. For instructions and an entry form see the conference web site at http://www.nist.gov/bestpractices. For additional information contact: Rick Borchelt at DOE (rick.borchelt@science.doe.gov) or Gail Porter at NIST (gail.porter@nist.gov)

Registration
The registration fee of $100 will cover conference materials, coffee breaks, lunches, a reception, and a dinner. Further agenda and registration information will be forwarded in July.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Gaithersburg Holiday Inn, (301) 948-8900, at a special rate of $95 single or double, plus 12 % tax. Reservations must be received by 7 Sept. 2001.

Program Information
Rick Borchelt
DOE, Office of Science, SC-5
1000 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20585
Phone: (202) 586-6702 FAX: (202) 586-7719
email: rborchelt@nasw.org

Registration Information

You may also mail your information to:
Kimberly Snouffer
NIST
100 Bureau Dr., Stop 3461
Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3461
Phone: (301) 975-2776 FAX: (301) 948-2067
email: kimberly.snouffer@nist.gov

 

Created: 8/9/01
Last updated: 8/9/01
Contact: Gail Porter