EBRC Sci Comm Workshop Series: “Communicating Science Effectively”

March-June, 2026 | Virtual & in-person at the EBRC Annual Meeting


EBRC is excited to host “Communicating Science Effectively”, an interactive, virtual training series open to all EBRC members! Over the course of three 60-minute sessions, participants will learn research-based theories underlying effective science communication and have the opportunity to apply these principles through hands-on instruction, practice, and feedback. The series will culminate with an in-person session during the EBRC Annual Meeting (register here!). This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in leveling up their communication and engagement skills!

Because the sessions build on one another, participants are expected to attend all three virtual sessions.

Questions? Please feel free to reach out to Julietta (julietta@ebrc.org)!

Register Here

 

Workshop Series Schedule

Session 1: Sci Comm 101 (virtual) | Friday, March 20, 2026 (3 PM ET/12 PM PT)

During this initial session, participants will consider the aim of their communication and go through the basics of effective science communication.

Objectives include:

  • Learn how to define clear communication goals and align messaging with desired outcomes;
  • Explore strategies for identifying and understanding your audience’s background, expectations, and needs; and
  • Understand the basics of ensuring your key points are communicated clearly.

Participants will also engage in interactive discussions to share their communication and engagement goals, challenges, fears, and opportunities.

 

Session 2: Panel Discussion – Applying Sci Comm in Practice (virtual) | Thursday, April 16, 2026 (3 PM ET/12 PM PT)

During this session, a panel of Sci Comm experts across a variety of fields will share their experiences.

Discussion topics include:

  • Finding and knowing your audience—Panelists will share practical strategies for identifying target audiences, understanding their values and needs, and building meaningful connections.
  • The importance of the messenger—Panelists will discuss how credibility, trust, and identity influence how science is received.
  • Creating and delivering effective messages—Panelists will discuss examples of what makes a compelling story.
    Working with journalists, press officers and professional societies

Participants will additionally be invited to actively engage with the panel, ask questions, share perspectives, and seek expert advice relevant to their own science communication experiences.

 

Session 3: Crafting your message (virtual) | Friday, May 15, 2026 (3 PM ET/12 PM PT)

This final session will focus on best practices for communicating evidence and strategies for addressing issues such as uncertainty, biases and presenting numerical information

Objectives include:

  • Best practices for communicating evidence and numbers: what are the issues with using words without numbers, the need to communicate absolute risks, natural frequencies, etc;
  • Learn how to clearly communicate different types of uncertainty;
  • Align uncertainty information to the decision context; and
  • Understand how mental models and cognitive biases may affect people’s understanding of evidence and consider how to use transformative explanations and other communication tactics.

 

Final presentations (in-person) | June 3, 2026 (at the EBRC Annual Meeting)

Participants will prepare a Sci Comm product tailored to a specific audience, topic, and engagement platform (e.g., an Instagram live stream, interview for a local newspaper, a Bluesky thread) to be presented during a live, interactive session at the EBRC Annual Meeting open to all meeting attendees.

This session will offer a unique opportunity for participants to put the skills and strategies learned throughout the workshop series into practice and engage in meaningful dialogue with a broader scientific community.