Skills4EOSC Workshop: Science4Policy - Bridging the gap between research and decision-making

What

Communicating science effectively is becoming increasingly crucial in empowering society to take evidence-informed decisions to address its challenges, especially in the context of evidence-informed policymaking (often referred to as “science4policy”).

The SKILLS4EOSC two-day interactive workshop aims to enhance researchers' communication skills and facilitate dialogue with policymakers by upskilling communication competencies through theoretical learning and practical application.

Who

Are you a scientist, communicator or policy enthusiast and want to bridge the gap between research and decision-making? Join this interactive workshop to improve your skills in science communication in the context of policy making!
The ideal participants are researchers - in any field - wishing to improve their ability to interact with policy makers. They can be already involved in science4policy activities or simply motivated to start a journey into this new realm. In the registration form they should provide their motivation and experience in the field.

Program

Day 1 (January 30)

Day 1 - Jan 30 will be focused on the Theory of communicating science and the intersection between science and policy. Day 1 will be open to a maximum of 30 participants, please Register here

Session 1

10.00 - 13.30

Exploring effective science communication paths, led by Joana Lobo Antunes

what is science communication, addressing science topics to non expert audiences.
what is scientific culture and why is it relevant for non experts
why should scientists (and institutions) get involved, what's in it for them (not just good doing for the ignorant)
how have we been doing it so far, discussing some results from eurobarometers in science and techology, things that we are doing better and what needs to be done
examples on things that can be done; directly with people (open days, science fairs, open labs, going to schools, researchers night), using social media for scientific good, working with the media

Session 2

14.30 - 17.30

Engaging with policymakers: key concepts and institutional pathways in Science4Policy (S4P), conducted by Alessandro Allegra

Introduction to scientific advice and science for policy
Key S4P theoretical concepts
Independence, relevance, and the limits of science in policy
Scientists, experts and advisors: roles and responsibilities
Overview of the European S4P ecosystem
Institutional models of scientific advice

Day 2 (January 31)

Day 2 - Jan 31 will see the Interactive session with simulations of political debates and role-playing exercises, facilitated by Petra Buljevic and Marko Košiček. It will be restricted to 20 invited researchers, who will also attend Day1.

This one-day, hands-on workshop allows participants to familiarise themselves with the complex relationship between science, communication and policy. Through expert-led sessions, role-plays and collaborative activities, you'll explore how scientists can contribute to policy decisions, communicate research effectively and influence societal issues.

Get to know each other

9.30 - 9.45

Short introduction by Petra Buljevic and Marko Košiček, Participants introduce each other - provide background and previous experience in science communication and/or policy-making

Wrap up from day 1

9.45 - 10.00

Reflection on the theoretical part of day 1 and additional background for the workshop - this will be defined during the lectures of Joana Lobo Antunes and Alessandro Allegra on day 1.

Warm-up game

10.00 - 10.15

In this workshop, the participants' active engagement and agile participation are crucial. This part is rather relaxing and moves the participants to action.

Introduction to the workshop

10.15 - 10.45

Topics:

Decision-making process against the background of political decisions
Roles of the scientist: pure scientist, scientific mediator, honest broker, advocate of problems
Communication formats: panel discussions, statements on the issues, policy briefs, etc.

Task allocation and technical preparation

10.45 - 11.00

Before the workshop, we will collect the names and backgrounds of the participants and divide them into groups to which we will assign the topics and roles they will take on in the practical part.

We will email them the details a few days before they arrive in Rome.

Participants will receive information about their format and role within the previously assigned topic at this point of the workshop.

Group work

11.00 - 11.30

The groups will prepare their activity, which we will record with the camera.

Short break

11.30 - 11.45

Short refreshments before shooting.

Role-playing exercise

11.45 - 12.45

Filming their activities - panel discussions, presentations and/or pitches.

First impressions

12.45 - 13.00

Short round with comments and first impressions of the participants.

Lunch break

13.00 - 14.00

Relaxation and lunch.

Analysis of the filmed material

14.00 - 15.30

We will now play the video and analyse it step by step. We analyse the mistakes and learn from them. Immediately give participants advice on how to improve their argumentation.

Tips & Tricks
Conclusions

15.30 - 16.00

We share good/bad examples of communication and tips and tricks on how to prepare and deliver the message.

Final remarks and conclusions.

Our trainers

Alessandro Allegra

Dr Alessandro Allegra is a science policy scholar and practitioner interested in understanding and shaping the interface between science, policy, and society in Europe, with a focus on scientific advice to policymaking. He works at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation, providing support and advice to senior management on R&I policy and coordinating activities on Science for Policy. Alessandro has experience in UK, EU, and international science policy having worked at UNESCO, the Royal Society of London and the UK Royal Society of Biology, and the European Commission. He holds a PhD in Science, Technology and Society (STS) from UCL and has been Fulbright-Schuman fellow at the Harvard’s Kennedy School STS Programme.

Petra Buljević Zdjelarević

Petra Buljević Zdjelarević is a trained media and communications professional who has been helping researchers reach their target audiences since 2009. She currently heads the Public Relations and Communication Office at the Ruđer Bošković Institute and is responsible for strategic communication initiatives, public and media relations, social media and event management. Her expertise lies in the development and implementation of successful communication and dissemination campaigns that increase the visibility and impact of the Institute's activities and projects. Throughout her career, she has worked as a communications consultant for numerous EU-funded projects, using her expertise to develop effective project branding and deliver targeted media campaigns.

Dr Marko Košiček

Dr Marko Košiček is an expert advisor and coordinator of popularisation activities at the Ruđer Bošković Institute. He holds a PhD in biochemistry from the Faculty of Natural Sciences in Zagreb. He has participated in numerous activities for the popularisation of science ( Festival of Science, Scientific picnic, RBI Open Day, European Researchers’ Night), hosted the science programme Third Element on national television (HRT3) for 10 years, founded the Society for Out-Of-Frame Education and was a long-standing member of the organising committee for the Summer School of Science for high school students. Together with his colleague Saša Ceci (RBI), he was awarded the State Award for Popularisation and Promotion of Science in 2014. From 2018 to mid-2020, he was Chief Advisor at the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia.

Joana Lobo Antunes

Director of Communication at Instituto Superior Técnico. Professor in Science Communication and Social Media for Scientists, Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Técnico Doctoral School. Extensive experience in scientists training and in outreach initiatives: coordinator of science national radio show 90 Segundos de Ciência (since 2016), multimedia program Explica-me como se tivesse cinco anos (since 2020) and science podcast 110 histórias | 110 Objetos (since 2021) and Modern Physics Discoveries (since 2024). Founder and former President of Portuguese Science Communicators Network SciComPT.