Important Dates

The closing date for applications will usually be the end of February.

Background

The ABSW Bursaries aim to identify and train the science communicators of the future. Seven bursaries are available for full-time study and two for part-time study.

The bursaries cover:

       Course fees and living expenses for post-graduate science communication courses.

       For part-time study, financial support will cover fees with a margin to allow the recipients to take some unpaid leave to attend the networking seminars (NB: candidates for part-time courses will have to demonstrate that funding for the course is not available via their employers)

Basic requirements for applicants:

       A background in science
 

       An aptitude for communication
 

       Evidence that funding for the course is not available from any other source.

The course undertaken must be within the UK, applicants, however, may come from overseas.

Selection procedure

There will be a two-stage procedure; a written application and interviews of short-listed candidates.

The written application will consist of three sections:

1. Candidate's CV plus a sample of published science communication work
    
2. A 500-word section putting the candidate's case for a bursary, outlining why the candidate will offer a different perspective on science communication, plus a description of the candidate's circumstances. A testimonial from a course tutor or other professional acquainted with the candidate and able to honestly say that they do not believe the candidate could complete such a course without the aid of the bursaries. Any other evidence they believe will help their case, limited to two sides of A4.
    
3. A science writing exercise in two parts: candidates will be presented with a poorly written article and asked to re-write the copy in a particular style to show their editing skills and ingenuity with language; candidates will receive an original paper from a scientific journal and be asked to write two news stories from the article, one for publication in, for example, New Scientist and the other for publication in, say, the Daily Mail, to demonstrate their comprehension of the subject and their understanding of the need to present information in different ways to different audiences.

Judges, drawn from the membership of the ABSW, will be looking for flair rather than polish, an interesting perspective, and evidence that the applicant has an ability to communicate science. They will also take into account the circumstances of the applicant and put forward those applicants who they consider have the greatest potential and the best case for the award of a bursary.

We will invite short-listed candidates to an interview by the same panel of judges. The final decisions will be made on the basis of those interviews.

NB: We will offer travel expenses to interviewed candidates.

Requirements of successful bursary recipients:

       Attendance at two networking seminars per annum at which they must make a short presentation
 

       Preparation of a two page final report to be delivered to the ABSW and the Wellcome Trust on completion of the course Evidence of graduation from the completed course
 

       Keeping the ABSW and the Wellcome Trust informed of career progress for two years from completion of the course
 

       Taking part in the evaluation of the bursary scheme (i.e. telephone interview/survey)

NB: We will pay travel and accommodation expenses to bursary recipients to attend the networking seminars. Failure to produce a final report will result in the candidates being required to repay the money.

Courses for Science Communicators

What follows is a partial list of courses in science communication and journalism that cater either for science graduates or, as is more common, graduates in general.

The list comprises those full-time one-year postgraduate courses that are approved or accredited by one or more of the Association of British Science Writers, the Broadcast Journalism Training Council, the National Council for the Training of Journalists, and the Periodicals Training Council.

These web addresses are a moveable feast. Universities often move them without telling anyone. (Why should they?) If you come up against a brick wall, hunt around.

All the full-time courses here are considered eligible for applicants for the ABSW Student Journalism Bursaries. The list is not exclusive, however, and suitably qualified graduates seeking places on other courses should inquire first.

Science Communication

Bath University
MSc/Diploma in Science Communicationhttp://www.bath.ac.uk/departments/Psychology/about/scc.cfm
Science and Culture 
Postgraduate Coordinator 
Department of Psychology 
University of Bath 
Bath BA2 7AY
Tel: +44 (0) 1225 323251
email: psychology-enquiries@bath.ac.uk