For general information about science communication with the public, see the website of the International Network on Public Communication of Science and Technology (pcst.co).
Another excellent source of information is ISOTOPE: Informing Science Outreach & Public Engagement, operated by the Open University in the UK.
For more general resources on science communication that go beyond “public communication,” see www.scidev.net, which has a section on science publishing and an “e-guide” to science communication. Both are oriented toward developing countries, but apply to the whole world.
Scientific Writing Courses
- Graduate Student Communication Training with the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Center for Public Engagement with Science & Technology.
- COMPASS, a science communication training group based in the United States, in 2013-2014 conducted a “landscape study” of science communication training opportunities (mainly for scientists who want to know more about science communication). Overall information about the project is at http://compassblogs.org/gradscicomm/, and a page specifically listing training opportunities is at http://compassblogs.org/gradscicomm-list/.
- The Science Communication program at Rhine-Waal University (Germany) in 2015 developed a new directory of science communication courses worldwide: www.scicommfinder.info. While it is still a work-in-progress, it contains much useful information.
- A list of training opportunities is on the ISOTOPE site referred to above.
- A search on Google for “science journalism courses” or “science communication courses” also yields many useful links.
- For many years, the Directory of science communication courses and programs in the United States was the best guide to courses. First compiled in the 1980s, and later updated and put online by Prof. Sharon Dunwoody at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the directory was last updated in 2007, so unfortunately the information is getting dated.
Fellowships
Other Training Opportunities
- Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science: This organization hosts workshops, both in-person and online, to support STEM researchers in clearly communicating their science.
- American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB): In this 8-week online course, The Art of Science Communication, STEM professionals receive training in science communication to a non-expert audience in formal settings, such as public lectures.
- Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC): The annual conference is a networking and professional development event for everyone who works in and with science centers and museums. ASTC hosts several online communities of practice, including “Public Engagement with Science,” that come together in-person at the conference.
- Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): This center offers several professional opportunities, including trainings, workshops, fellowships, and internships. They also organize a Communicating Science Seminar associated with the AAAS annual meeting.
- COMPASS Science Communication: This organization hosts trainings designed to help scientists engage effectively in the public discourse about the environment.