{"id":470,"date":"2020-04-01T10:30:35","date_gmt":"2020-04-01T10:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/mbhgblog\/?p=470"},"modified":"2020-06-10T16:26:35","modified_gmt":"2020-06-10T16:26:35","slug":"cbtbr-science-communication-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/mbhgblog\/2020\/04\/01\/cbtbr-science-communication-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"[:en]CBTBR Science Communication Awards[:]"},"content":{"rendered":"

[:en]Hello Readers – welcome back!<\/p>\n

During the global #lockdown set in place to #FlattenTheCurve during the #Covid19 pandemic, we thought it would be a great idea to make available some stimulating reading content to keep your minds active and engaged!<\/p>\n

Science communication forms a vital part of research, wherein scientists share their research findings and the impact thereof with the public. It enables researchers to extend their reach beyond academia, contributing towards democratizing knowledge and empowering society through increased knowledge, understanding and participation in science. There are many ways in which scientists may engage the public, one of which includes popular science writing. Popular science articles provide a great starting point for researchers looking to develop and refine their communication skills, as it affords them the opportunity to practice concept simplification and story-telling without the pressure\/stress of physical interaction with their target audience.<\/p>\n

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The Science Communication Awards were created in 2018, resulting from an innovative collaboration between <\/span>The Conversation Africa<\/span><\/a> and the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Invasion Biology. The competition was so successful in that The Conversation Africa extended the competition to several other CoEs, including the <\/span>DSI-NRF CoE for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research (CBTBR)<\/span><\/a>. The CBTBR launched its official Science Communication Essay Writing Competition, in partnership with The Conversation Africa and the <\/span>Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST)<\/span><\/a>, in June 2019. The competition was open to Master\u2019s and Doctoral postgraduate students within in the Centre, boasting an impressive cash prize to the winners of the MSc and PhD category respectively. To enter students had to submit an 800-word essay describing their research, in the format of a popular science article for publication in The Conversation. <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Students were given until the 31st October 2019 to submit their piece to The Conversation for consideration in the competition. A total of 14 entries were received, of which 6 were from MSc candidates and the remaining 8 from PhD candidates. The articles were judged by science journalists at The Conversation Africa, according to the following criteria:<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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