6 February 2025
Entries are open until 3 March 2025 for PCST members.
Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Network establishes the Award for the advancement of science communication as a professional field (PCST Award). The award will be given biennially, and the winners will be announced at the corresponding PCST conferences (the the next conference will be held in Aberdeen 27-29 May 2025).
“In recent years many countries and organisations have established excellent initiatives to celebrate different aspects of science communication activities. Science journalism awards, probably, have the longest history; the awards related to events, science engagement and institutional science communication are given by respective networks while governments tend to award “science celebrities,” the researchers famous for their role of public experts. As the world’s largest network of science communication professionals of all kinds, one of our roles is to encourage the development of science communication as a professional field. We are happy that we can establish the award for these activities backed by our sponsor, GIST AIX School from the Republic of Korea”, says Sook-kyoung Cho, PCST Network’s President and the Professor of KENTECH (the Korea Institute of Energy Technology).
The award will recognise and honour:
- efforts that support professional development of science communicators and build science communication infrastructure;
- efforts that increase the prestige of the profession of science communicator and raise public awareness of its importance;
- efforts that support the professional culture of science communication.
“The scope of the award is quite broad. We are happy to learn about an establishment of science communication education degree or a professional network, as well as implementing science communication into laws and other kind of policy documents or a strong research contribution to understanding science communication practices, to name a few”, says Alexandra Borissova Saleh, PCST Network Treasurer and the executive secretary of the award.
The PCST Network invites potential candidates to self-nominate or nominate their colleagues. The award is open to individuals and small groups of up to three people. Both the nominator and the candidate(s) should be PCST Network paying members, and there is no limitation on their location and affiliation. Works or projects realised during the last ten years can be nominated. Submissions should be done through this form, including a nomination letter (max. 1 page) and a short CV (max. 2 pages) of a candidate/-s. The projects of sitting PCST Scientific Committee members and PCST-related projects cannot be nominated due to the conflict of interest.
The top winner will be awarded a cash prize of 1,500 USD. The second and the third place will be awarded a cash prize of 700 USD each.
For further guidance on eligibility and rules, please refer to the Award Policy and Guidelines.
Download the Call for Entries.
Deadline for submissions: 3 March 2025, 23:59 PST.
The award’s jury will include the members of the PCST Network Scientific Committee as well as PCST Life members. The award is coordinated by the special group of the PCST Network Scientific Committee: Dr Alexandra Borissova Saleh (Executive Secretary of the Award, Center for Ethics in Science and Journalism), Dr Germana Barata (Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil), Dr Heather Doran (University of Dundee), Prof Joan Leach (Centre for Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University), Prof Nan Li (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA), Prof Fabien Medvecky (Centre for Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University).
The award is supported by the the GIST Graduate School of AI Policy and Strategy. The School is dedicated to developing leaders and experts in AI policy and strategy. Its mission is to harness AI technology to address critical challenges in various fields through interdisciplinary convergence. It offers a curriculum that combines theoretical lectures, problem-based learning, and global capstone design projects, with a focus on healthcare, autonomous systems, mobility, and policy & strategy. With state-of-the-art infrastructure,
including an AI Data Center, the School provides students with hands-on experience in cutting-edge AI technologies. Its global network includes partnerships with leading AI companies, research institutes, and universities worldwide.
If you have any questions concerning the award, contact us at award@pcst.network
