Logo Wissenschaft im Dialog Wissenschaft im Dialog

Transfer Unit

Research and practice of science communication

contact

Project lead

Liliann Fischer

Tel.: 030 2062295-32

liliann.fischer@w-i-d.de

Projectmanagement

Lisa Mertin

Tel.: 030 2062295-7607

lisa.mertin@w-i-d.de
projectwebsite

overview

format

Exchange between research and practice

The Transfer Unit Science Communication promotes the exchange between research and practice of science communication. The project will make findings from science communication research accessible to practitioners. To that end, secondary analyses and literature reviews will be conducted focusing on questions that are relevant to science communication practice. The results will be made available to practitioners in a form that is easily accessible and useful for everyday practice. At the same time the project aims to make science communication researchers aware of the questions and experience of practitioners and thus inspire new research. In addition to that, the Transfer Unit aims to establish networks between research and practice in science communication and inspire a joint discourse. With its work, the project contributes to quality and effectivity in science communication.

Sponsors

Partners

content

exchange between research and practice

The Transfer Unit promotes the exchange between research and practice of science communication. It thus contributes to an informed practice and increases the awareness of research for open questions and needs of practice.

 

Objectives

By building a network of research and practice, the project aims to contribute to a stronger orientation of science communication practice towards research findings and thus to high quality in science communication. At the same time, the Transfer Unit wants to make science communication research aware of the practitioners’ experiences and needs. This will allow researchers to gain insights into research questions that are relevant to practice.

target audiences

The Transfer Unit addresses three groups in particular:

Researchers and lecturers in the field of science communication, whose findings make a decisive contribution to the theoretical foundation of science communication. At the same time, they are the recipients of the practical perspectives identified in the Transfer Unit, which they can address in newly initiated research projects. 

Practitioners of science communication (professional communicators as well as communicating scientists), who can benefit from the tools that the Transfer Unit provides to make research findings available to practice. At the same time, the Transfer Unit gives them the opportunity to raise open questions about science communication research, as well as to put the research findings into perspective based on their practical expertise. 

Science communication researchers and practitioners alike benefit from the opportunities for dialogue the Transfer Unit offers, which enable them to engage in conversation and exchange ideas about science communication. 

Last but not least, the Transfer Unit addresses decision-makers in science policy and management. The project’s activities are intended to strengthen decision-makers’ understanding of informed, effective and responsible science communication for the further development of the science communication landscape.

Partners and responsibilities

The Transfer Unit is a joint project of Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for three years. 

The Transfer Unit identifies needs and questions of science communication practitioners and provides overviews of findings by international science communication research on these questions. These are converted into tools and made accessible to practitioners. In addition, the

Transfer Unit aims to initiate further collaborations in which researchers and practitioners jointly address questions that have not been sufficiently explored yet. 

In autumn 2022 the Transfer Unit conducted a survey among science communication practitioners to identify questions of high relevance for science communication practice. In a two-stage survey, practitioners were first asked to submit any open questions they had for science communication research. In the second round, the practitioners had the opportunity to prioritize the topics and questions developed based on the first round.

The BBAW designs and thematically plans multidisciplinary secondary analyses and literature reviews to review the state of research on some of the highly prioritized questions. The analyses will be conducted by the academic staff of the Transfer Unit as well as external researchers.

The results of the analyses will be made available through the various transfer formats designed by WiD. In collaboration with practitioners the Transfer Unit will develop tools and materials that are easily accessible, easy to understand and intuitive to use. The Transfer Unit also organizes workshops and other discussion formats to encourage a discourse between research and practice of science communication. WiD is furthermore responsible for the preparation and implementation of a transfer conference to bring science communication research and practice together in 2024.