Image credit: Isaac Smith, Unsplash
With the start of a new year, and a new decade, it’s only natural to set a few professional goals for yourself. I don’t generally set New Year’s Resolutions, but I do have a few this year that include defending my Master of Science degree, and writing more regularly. If professional development in your science career is also a priority for you, then here’s a list of opportunities you can take advantage of right now to start tackling your goals.
Here’s a little science communication for everyone – regardless of your training level
If it’s your intention to undergo training in science communication this year, then look no further. Firstly there’s ComSciConCAN, which is a (free) national science communication workshop series organized by graduate students like me (application deadline: January 19). If accepted, you’ll head to Ottawa at the end of May to hear from experts and further build your communication skills via panels, hands-on workshops and even a Write-A-Thon. I attended last year – here’s what I thought. There are also local ComSciCon events this year, including one in Québec.
But science communication training opportunities aren’t limited to graduate students only. Are you a trainee (undergraduate or graduate) or a postdoctoral fellow in a lab funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)? (Go check!) If yes, you can participate in their #IAmInnovation contest by tweeting an image or video featuring your CFI-funded equipment/lab to share how CFI-funded infrastructure has helped your research (deadline: January 31). In addition to bragging rights, you’ll win an all-expenses paid round-trip to Ottawa, where you’ll also attend a professional communications skills workshop featuring science communicator extraordinaire Dr. Samantha Yammine (who happens to be soliciting performer applications for the next iteration of the Science is a Drag Show).
Beyond solo workshops, another way to build your science communication skills is by networking at local and national conferences. If you’re interested in meeting the science communication community within the Greater Toronto Area, then be sure to attend the SciCommTO 2020 conference (February 21-22). Or are you perhaps wondering what’s available on a national level? Well, this year, the Science and Technology Awareness Network (STAN) is hosting its annual two-day conference (February 26-27) in Calgary, where you can participate in science outreach discussions, including how to bring Art and Design into STEM (“STEAM”), and explore new facets of science outreach. Luckily, travel bursaries are currently open for everyone – though these are on a first-come, first-serve basis (deadline: February 12). Lastly, the 2020 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) conference will be taking place in Ottawa this year (June 25-26), and organizers are actively soliciting conference session proposals right now (deadline: February 7).
Boost your skills in science policy with theses opportunities
Alongside communication skills, you may want to prioritize learning about and engaging in science policy this year. If you’re a recent graduate, consider applying to internship programs, such as the Ontario Legislature Internship Program (OLIP) and the Parliamentary Internship Programme (PIP) (deadline: January 31). While these may not be internships that come immediately to mind for you as a science trainee, they are nevertheless an opportunity for you to apply the skills you’ve gained during your science degree in a policy environment. OLIP is a ten-month internship, with a $25,780 stipend, during which students will work with a government and opposition Member of the Provincial Parliament, and carry out tasks such as researching policy issues, writing speeches and preparing materials. PIP provides a similar experience, but interns will instead shadow a single Member of Parliament in Ottawa, earning a $24,000 stipend.
If you’re a current graduate student, consider applying for the Science Outside The Lab North program (deadline: February 5). This is a one-week deep dive into science policy, where you’ll hear honest insights from experts in academia, the government, non-profits, and more, about the Canadian science policy landscape. Here’s what I thought of SoTL North when I attended last year and, yes, there is a program fee to pay for this particular opportunity. Fun fact: there’s a new health policy stream taking place in British Columbia this year.
As for those nearing graduation or who are perhaps early career researchers, there are still opportunities in science policy for you too! Consider applying for a Mitacs’ Canadian Science Policy Fellowship to spend 12 months immersed in provincial or national policy-making processes (deadline: February 5), or a CIHR Health System Impact Fellowship, where you’ll be placed in a health system related organization to tackle critical health-care challenges (deadline: April 1). Both programs are newer to the Canadian science policy landscape, but you don’t have to look far to hear glowing reviews encouraging researchers to participate.
Beyond science communication and policy opportunities
The opportunities I’ve listed are biased towards science policy and communication, but there are so many more training opportunities out there to develop your science career further. For example, if you’re an undergraduate student interested in exploring research this summer, be sure to start applying for research opportunities right now. Or perhaps you’re a graduate student at the University of Toronto? Then consider attending one of the Graduate Management Consulting Association’s (GMCA) events, such as a miniMBA program or a case competition to build your business-related skills further, or the LSCDS x CSMB Life Sciences Career Expo taking place between May 13 and 15 at Hart House.
Did I miss an important upcoming opportunity? Tell me about it in the comments below or, better yet, share it with everyone around you, so that we can all meet our ambitious New Year’s Resolutions in 2020.
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