The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics (NASEM), with support from the Rita Allen Foundation, is offering awards to foster new collaborations between science communication researchers and practitioners.

Two types of awards will support the formation and development of collaborations: Catalyst awards of up to $12,000 will be offered to facilitate the development of new collaborative partnerships or projects. Partnership support awards of up to $50,000 will be awarded to support the design, execution, and evaluation of the first stages of a collaborative project. Proposals that have a focus on underserved populations will receive priority consideration.

The awards were announced at the National Academy of Sciences colloquium Advancing the Science and Practice of Science Communication: Misinformation about Science in the Public Sphere, where science communication researchers and practitioners gathered to examine a growing body of evidence and approaches addressing misinformation about science. A common theme was the need for greater collaboration with a shared focus on diverse underserved populations. Participants also heard from Brendan Nyhan and Christine Finley of the Vermont Department of Health about how they used an earlier round of partnership awards to catalyze an unusual collaboration to find effective messages about childhood vaccination.

The awards also build on 2018’s Misinformation Solutions Forum as well as the 2017 consensus report from the National Academies Communicating Science Effectively: A Research Agenda.

Information on submitting a proposal can be found here. Proposals are due by July 1, 2019. Winning teams will be selected by members of the Standing Committee on Advancing Science Communication Research and Practice and announced in early August 2019.