WASHINGTON — A new award program aims to recognize and develop excellence in science communication by research scientists and by early career, local, and freelance science journalists. The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication program will provide winners with cash awards as well as training and resources to further expand their communications skills.
One element of the program, supported by Schmidt Futures and administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, will annually confer 24 total awards — 12 awards for best science communication by research scientists and 12 awards for best science journalism. In each group, three $40,000 top prizes and nine $20,000 recognition awards will be presented. The awards will total $600,000 annually.
A second element of the program, funded and administered by Schmidt Futures, will partner with journalists and renowned journalistic institutions to create ongoing training and professional development opportunities for the science communicators recognized through the awards program.
The goal of the new awards is to encourage high-quality science communication and build a diverse community of science journalists, research scientists, and institutions who will help society meet the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change, future pandemics, human genome editing, and other issues that can only be understood and navigated with the help of effective science communication.
“The pandemic has tragically reminded us that science communication is often as important as science itself,” said National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt. “It takes great skill to effectively communicate the wonder and complexity of science, engineering, and medicine, and we hope these new awards will not only recognize such talent but also help nurture the next generation of leaders in science journalism and communication.”
“From cataloging changes in the Earth’s atmosphere to sequencing genomes of new viruses, scientific knowledge has never been vaster, and effective communication about science has never been more important,” said Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Futures with her husband Eric. “We’re honored to join the National Academies in recognizing the people who help us understand science better so that we can make better choices for ourselves, our communities, and our planet.”
Recognizing and developing a wide pool of science communicators
Each year, the 24 awards will be given to individuals who have developed creative, original work that explores issues and advances in science, engineering, and/or medicine for the general public. The focus of the awards is on emerging leaders in the field along the career continuum:
- The 12 Awards for Best Science Communication by Research Scientists will be split into three categories based on career level: Graduate Students, Early Career Researchers (one to five years after attaining their Ph.D.), and Later Career Researchers. In each category, there will be one top award at $40,000 and three awards of recognition at $20,000 each.
- The 12 Awards for Best Science Journalism will focus on three categories in science journalism: Freelance Journalists, Early Career Journalists, and Reporting at the Local/Regional Level. In each category, there will be one top award at $40,000 and three awards of recognition at $20,000 each.
The program will welcome submissions that explore the full spectrum of science — its beauty and societal benefits, its complexities, its shortcomings and controversies.
The first call for submissions will launch March 1, 2022. Leading scientists and experts in all aspects of science communication and journalism — from the academic, nonprofit, corporate, and other sectors — will review the nominations and select the winners. The winners will be announced in fall 2022. For more information, see nationalacademies.org/awards/excellence-in-communication.
The new initiative continues the National Academies’ long-standing commitment to fostering high-quality science communication. From 2003 to 2019, the National Academies Communication Awards recognized authors, journalists, and producers who demonstrated excellence in reporting and communicating science, engineering, and medicine to the general public.
The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication is supported by Schmidt Futures. Additional support is provided by the National Academy of Sciences W.K. Kellogg Foundation Fund and the Ralph J. and Carol M. Cicerone Endowment for NAS Missions.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.
Contact:
Kimberly Suda, Program Director
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail news@nas.edu