Science Media SAVVY Scholarship
Eligibility
Ideally suited for researchers with previous media experience seeking further development of their skills, as well as beginners anticipating media interest in their work.
Successful applicants for the workshop will be:
- Currently active researchers, in any field, employed in New Zealand
- Able to identify a research project or area of expertise of potential interest to media
- Experienced with media or likely to encounter media interest in future
- Highly motivated to strengthen their communication skills and confidence levels
Media training options
Looking for media training? We offer highly-acclaimed workshops and talks created for scientists and researchers under the SAVVY banner.
- Our flagship media and communication skills workshop for researchers actively preparing to speak to the media.
- Two days. Limited to 12 people. Offered four times a year at locations across Aotearoa.
- Supporting kaupapa Māori and whakawhanaungatanga, this is our Science Media SAVVY programme with focus on both mainstream and Māori media.
- Two days. Limited to 12 people. Fully funded.
- An express, one-on-one media training opportunity offered at selected conferences. Tailor messages, practice on camera and create a 90-second video about your research.
- 15 minutes each, for 15-25 conference participants.
- Free monthly webinar on topics like preparing to talk to the media, and getting the most out of social media.
- A great place to start for experts who want to communicate their work, or as a refresher for those who already have some experience.
- Create training to suit your needs, or the needs of your research group or institute.
- From half-day, or full-day make-your-own-content workshops, to large-scale lectures or interactive talks.
- Desk Guides, how-to-videos, and resources freely available online.
- For researchers looking to improve their communication skills in their own time.
- Learn how to create content and make great videos on your research.
- No longer available through the SMC, but can be arranged independently.
About the fund
Background
We’ve been helping journalists covering science since our launch in 2008. Our experience shows that the best way to get quality media coverage, is to improve researchers’ skills in communicating their area of expertise. Researchers can apply these same skills to improve their research impact, raise the profile of important issues, attract funding and engage with peers and the public.
Our programme’s overarching goals are to:
- broaden the pool of researchers willing and able to engage effectively with an increasingly time-poor media
- encourage scientists to be more proactive and thoughtful about the way they communicate
- improve researchers’ understanding of the media’s needs and motivations
- build awareness and skills that have flow-on benefits for researchers’ careers
- increase research impact by making it easier to engage with and more relevant for the public
Our flagship media training increases confidence and skills to help researchers to engage more effectively with the wider public through broadcast, print and social media.
- We regularly evaluate the impact of our workshops, both internally, and as part of a research collaboration with Victoria University of Wellington’s Science in Society group.
- The results show that most participants have ongoing, positive contacts with media following the workshop, feel more confident and effective as communicators and can identify impacts on their careers including new research collaborations.
- Read comments from workshop evaluations.
Purpose
We create a unique experience for each workshop by drawing on our relationships with the media. Day One covers key communication skills and interview preparation. Day Two provides a behind the scenes opportunity for participants to meet and interact with experienced reporters who cover science and research.
- 2-day workshop, with studio visit/interaction with national media
- Limit of 12 per workshop
- Entry by selection (each workshop aims for participants from a range of organisations and research fields)
- Offered four times a year across Aotearoa
This workshop is created specifically to orient researchers to the realities of a rapidly changing media environment, and offers:
- unique insights into decision-making behind the news
- strategies to successfully navigate a range of media encounters
- practical techniques to improve communication and deal with nerves
- tips on adapting messages to audiences
- strategies to contribute constructively to trending topics
- tips on handling the initial phone call from a journalist
- strategies to respond effectively when an interview becomes challenging
- the opportunity to pitch potential stories to journalists in a supportive, confidence-building environment
- take-home lessons that also apply to improving stakeholder engagement, funding applications, public talks and outreach.
Course fees: $750 (excl. GST) – Needs-based funding is available
Tenure of award
Funds available
$595
Number of awards
12
Application process
How to apply
Upcoming workshops
Selection
Science Communicators Association of New Zealand (SCANZ)
- After the closing date, we review applications with the aim of assembling a well-balanced group of participants across a range of research fields, experience levels and research organisations. We also consider potential media interest in the topic or area of expertise proposed, and motivation for wanting to join the workshop.
Other information
- Entry to Science Media SAVVY workshops is by selection. There is usually high demand for the 12 available places in each two-day SAVVY workshop.
Working with illustrators
Finding Creative Commons material
- Whether you’re writing a blog, creating a video or producing your own podcast, you might run into issues trying to find external images, audio or video to embellish it — though we encourage you to collect your own!
- It can be hard to navigate what’s restricted by copyright and what’s not, but there’s a whole host of freely available material under Creative Commons. The Creative Commons makes it easy to comply with copyright restrictions – you just need to correctly use and attribute what you find.
- Unitec have a useful guide to finding global and New Zealand Creative Commons content.
Design tips for posters
- Conference posters are a rite of passage for many researchers, but you’re often given very little feedback on layout and design – all of which have a huge impact on how you communicate your research. This blog has some great tips for you or your students on poster design, some of which you can also use for presentations or other display material.
Creating your own videos
- Being able to provide journalists with audio and video recordings of research in action or pre-made videos about key concepts involved in your research could be the ticket to give your research the boost it needs.
- The Science Media Centre has previously offered video workshops focused on giving scientists the tools and skills to communicate their research in short videos aimed at an online audience. These workshops can still be arranged independently. Watch an example from a workshop participant here.
Field guide for communication
- Looking to broaden your skills in science communication beyond the media? Our friends at Story Collider have shared some suggested resources for navigating the various opportunities to communicate your research.
Guides for working with the media
SMC Desk guide for scientists – We’ve distilled the essential lessons from our SAVVY courses into a handy desk reference. Includes a media checklist and worksheet for preparing key messages. Order free copies for your colleagues online.
Publications for scientists – The UK Science Media Centre has created a set of pocket-sized guides for scientists, covering why you should engage, and some top tips for working with the media.
Resources for researchers facing harassment – The UK Science Media Centre and the Australian Science Media Centre have each developed guides for what to do if you’re being harassed following media engagement.
Communicating newsworthy social and behavioural science – The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have created an online toolkit for communicating social and behavioral science news in clear, compelling, and accurate ways.
Pitch your research to journalists
- There are a number of keen science and environment reporters across different outlets in New Zealand. If you’re interested in pitching a story to a journalist, see our list of who’s covering science to find out what areas they’re interested in. We also suggest searching your research topic in Google News to see which reporters have covered have covered it in the past – or asking us the SMC.
Top tips from scientists and journalists
- We asked experienced scientists and journalists about their experience of working together. Find their top tips for effective science communication in the video below, with more available here.
Contact details