Database of Indian Science Communicators
Developed by SciCommSci Club, IndSciComm & SciRio
This database is an ongoing effort by SciCommSci Club, IndScicomm and SciRio to curate a searchable list of science communication practitioners and researchers in India, across a range of formats, languages, affiliations and areas of interest.
The public-accesible database provides information about a wide diversity of science communicators in the country, their contact information, their areas of work / research interests, as well as samples of their science communication work.
It contains information collated from multiple sources, including a previous list of science communicators hosted on the Confluence platform (Indian Academy of Sciences), IndSciComm's previous database of institutional outreach staff, and responses collected from an open Google form.
If you'd like to get listed on this database, or update existing information about yourself, please fill up this Google form below. Please direct any further queries to [email protected].
Towards a Policy Framework for Indian SciComm
Thematic policy deliberation sessions for strengthening Science Communication in India
Towards a Policy Framework for Indian SciComm, was a joint effort led by the SciCommSci Club in partnership with Science Policy Forum (SPF), to organise a series of thematic policy deliberation sessions aimed at strengthening Science Communication in India.
Science communication and engagement in India has come a far way in the last few years, with a number of science communication-related opportunities, roles, positions & initiatives emerging quickly. However, we still face several challenges with respect to the following aspects of science communication:
- Creating awareness and recognition for science communication as a field of practice (by freelance, public, and private organisations alike); and forging a strong research ecosystem within the field of science communication to be able to address issues like raising scientific literacy, fighting misinformation, and developing critical attitudes.
- Developing a proper ecosystem for training and capacity building, networking and mentorship within science communication.
- Facilitating proper funding and institutional infrastructure for science communication in India.
- Ensuring greater inclusivity, diversity, equity and accessibility for science communication practitioners, researchers, as well as audiences.
Recently there have been multiple efforts at the national level, mostly driven by the larger SciComm community in India, and supported by various government organizations to address these challenges. The 'Science Communicators' Brainstorming Interaction' organised by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India on 27th January 2020, and ‘Across the Table – Thematic Panel Discussion on Science Communication' organised as part of the ongoing consultation process for Science Technology & Innovation Policy 2020 (STIP 2020) on 8th July 2020, were two notable meetings that brought together a quorum of Indian science communicators together.
To take these efforts further, the SciCommSci Club and Science Policy Forum partnered to organise a series of thematic policy deliberation sessions on 20th and 21st July 2020, titled “Towards a Policy Framework for Indian SciComm”.
These policy deliberation sessions were attended by over 70+ practitioners of science communication, scientists, social scientists, and other professionals from across India. These open and decentralised deliberations resulted in the policy recommendations presented below.
A copy of these recommendations was also submitted to the drafting process of Science Technology & Innovation Policy 2020, as well as the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
You are free to share and adapt this work under the CC-BY 4.0 licence, by using the following attribution:
Policy Recommendations for Strengthening Indian SciComm, by SciCommSci Club and Science Policy Forum, published on 24th August 2020.
If you have further queries, ideas or proposals to discuss with us, especially with regards to policy frameworks for Indian science communication, or developing a professional body of science communicators, please reach out to us at [email protected] or [email protected].
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