On July 25-26, 2023, “SciPEP 2023: New Insights for Communicating Basic Science” explored new research, findings, and implications for how to support scientists communicating about basic, discovery science. Science communication scholars, practitioners, and trainers came together to discuss new insights and generated ideas and opportunities to advance basic science communication research and practice.
Two years earlier, SciPEP’s “Communicating the Future: Engaging the Public in Basic Science” conference virtually gathered more than 1,200 people from 60 countries to explore what we know – and don’t know – about basic science communication. The sheer magnitude of the conference (and deep, rich discussions there and since) reinforced that this is what the community is hungry for: evidence-based tools and resources to better equip scientists and professional communicators for basic science communication. A detailed summary of the 2021 conference and video recordings are available for reference. Also, the SciPEP team published “Charting a Path for Public Engagement in Basic Science: A Prospectus,” to summarize key questions that arose from the 2021 conference and a framework for addressing those questions.
The SciPEP team has identified (and commissioned) new research, and convened or facilitated conversations, that have deepened our understanding of key gaps and refined the questions identified during the 2021 conference.
Attendees of SciPEP 2023 learned more about these findings, connected with others to discuss new insights, and helped plan the next steps for our community.