Science Communication Working Group

Co-chairs

Mission

Scientific activities influence our lives on a daily basis. The a need to focus on the transparency and high-integrity of research is essential for public health, wellbeing and safety, for environmental protection and diversity preservation. As scientists, our main goal is to maintain this focus. We ought to drive the non-experts’ interest towards science, for example by involving them in various citizens' science projects. The recognition of the relevance of scientific discovery by the publics is of vital importance for the perpetuation of the scientific process.

In order for scientists to work in the public interest , a continuous dialog with both the publics and the regulators is required. Only on the basis of conclusions from such multi-stakeholder discussions, can the ultimate needs for immediate scientific solutions relevant to societal problems can be drawn. Additionally, science needs the financial support of both governments and the industries where these solutions will be implemented. This support can be secured only by increasing the awareness, involvement and interest for the scientific process. Improving the trust in scientists and researchers would benefit the overall public domain by paving the way to an evidence-based legislation and transparent regulation.

The mission of the working group is to establish the effective methods and strategies for science communication, suitable for different target audiences. We aim to select the best in class existing approaches and develop further where necessary a tool-kit for efficient public engagement to enable researchers to communicate their work, but also to build a dialogue with society. The working group’s scope falls within the GHI’s mission of working together to promote harmonization of global food safety regulations and legislation through sound science.

Objectives

Assist other working groups in the formulation of messages aimed at various public
groups at all levels.
Debunking pseudoscience and help the publics to be armed against misinformation.
The objectives listed above are related to the scope of GHI.
Develop a dialogue with various societal actors towards working together throughout the
whole research and innovation process to better align research outcomes with the
values, needs and expectations of society, towards developing science-based legislation
and evidence-based policy.
Engage policy makers, funding bodies and educational centers on the needs to train
scientists and researchers in basic efficient public engagement and the concepts behind
RRI (Responsible Research and Innovation), leading towards specific guidelines for
effective science communication.
Develop region and/or topic specific training manuals to assist scientists in their outreach
efforts within a global perspective. Special emphasis shall be given for developing need
based training materials suitable for diverse groups from different backgrounds for
effective communication and learning.

Meetings

Dates, times and locations to be announced.

Interested in joining this Working Group?

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Science Communication Working Group