ScienceFlows participates in the second international meeting of the COALESCE project, within the framework of the XIX congress of Comunicación Social de la Ciencia, held in Granada (October 24-27, 2023)

ANA SERRA and CAROLINA MORENO CASTRO//

In a world in which science and technology increasingly play a greater role in people’s lives, the importance of effectively communicating scientific advances is fundamental for understanding and decision-making. However, we often find gaps between available scientific knowledge and its understanding by society, which contributes to the spread of scientific misinformation and the weakening of public trust in science.

To address this challenge, ScienceFlows is part of the European project team COALESCE (Coordinated Opportunities for Advanced Leadership and Engagement in Science Communication in Europe), which aims to create a European Competence Center for Science Communication. This center will provide essential tools and resources for institutions, journalists and all actors involved in science communication. COALESCE’s main focus is to transform existing scientific knowledge into practical and effective resources for communication professionals, scientists and communicators. A crucial aspect of the project is the collaborative development of these resources, involving all stakeholders to ensure their specific needs are met.

COALESCE aims to transform existing scientific knowledge into practical and effective resources for communication professionals, scientists and communicators

COALESCE has the experience and knowledge acquired through eight projects funded by the Horizon 2020 program in the SwafS 19 (Science with and for Society) call, including NEWSERA, TRESCA, QUEST, GlobalSCAPE, ParCoS, ENJOI, CONCISE and RETHINK . This union is allowing us to take advantage of the lessons learned and the knowledge accumulated by these eight consortia.

ScienceFlows-UVEG team, together with the staff of Polibienestar, Unidad de Cultura Científica y de la Innovación y El Observatorio de las dos Culturas, will play an essential role in this project. It will contribute to the development of technological and training tools to counteract misinformation and lack of trust in science. In addition, it will develop the design of guides and recommendations aimed at public officials and politicians. Together with Trinity College Dublin (TCD), ScienceFlows-UVEG team will lead the work dedicated to the sustainability of COALESCE, ensuring the continuity of the Competence Center platform beyond the planned four years of funding.

The COALESCE project, funded with more than 3 million euros, is made up of partners from eight European countries, including Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Estonia and the United Kingdom as a collaborating partner. COALESCE is coordinated by Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Over the next four years, consortium members will conduct various co-design and co-creation workshops to ensure that new tools and resources meet the needs of all stakeholders. With ScienceFlows as an active part of this project, we are excited to contribute to strengthening science communication in Europe and beyond.

Thus, we will be participating the 24-27 October week in the international Consortium meeting that will take place in Granada and in the co-creation workshop, organised by Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (FECYT) and by Science for Change. In the framework of XIX CCSC2023.

The objective of this co-creation workshop is to collaborate with professionals from the scientific communication sector in the design of tools and materials for the new European Center of Competences in Scientific Communication. Likewise, we will participate in several round tables and communications within the framework of the congress. We wait for you!

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