ABSW Media Fellowships
Placing scientists in the heart of a media outlet.
Overview
The ABSW Media Fellowships provide a unique opportunity for practising scientists, clinicians, and engineers to spend two to six weeks working at the heart of a media outlet such as the Guardian, IFLScience or the BBC Radio Science Unit.
The ABSW Media Fellowships:
- Engage – give scientists the confidence to engage with the media
- Foster Trust – tackle mistrust and misrepresentation
- Bridge the Gap – between journalists and scientists
- Build Understanding – between science and society
ABSW Media Fellowships are not available through individual applications. Media Fellowships are offered through a sponsoring institution or university who fund the Fellowship for their members/employees.
If you are an institution or membership body who would like to offer a Media Fellowship to your staff or members get in touch with Sallie Robins, Executive Secretary of the ABSW.
If you are an individual who would like to become a Media Fellow then speak to your employer or representative body to see if they might fund your Fellowship, and then ask them to get in touch.
Full details of the scheme can be found by watching our presentation and/or downloading a PDF version of the presentation (below).
The British Science Association (BSA) ran this scheme from 1987 – 2020 as part of their commitment to increasing the accessibility of the sciences and providing opportunities for discussion and debate.
Other UK schemes
UKRI New Generation Thinkers
This scheme offers five early career researchers the opportunity to be ‘researchers in residence’ where they will work with programme makers at BBC Radio 4 and produce a piece of writing to be recorded for radio.
https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/new-generation-thinkers-2025/
ScienceWrite Programme
The ScienceWrite Programme, supported by the Royal Society, aims to help early-stage science writers from minoritised backgrounds - based in the UK - to advance their professional development. If you have an idea for a book, an article for a journal, a blog, or another writing project and need some intel and support, you've come to the right place!
https://www.sciencewrite.co.uk/
If you know of other schemes please let us know [email protected]
Latest news
The Class of 2024. Thirteen academics were awarded ABSW Media Fellowships in 2024. They have all completed their placements at outlets ranging from the BBC Radio Science Unit in Cardiff to The Times in London. Find out more about the Fellows and the work they undertook on placement.
Find out more...
Download the ABSW Media Fellowships slide deck (as shown above - PDF version)
With thanks to our 2024 sponsors...
With thanks to University of Bath who are supporting the Media Fellowships in 2024
With thanks to the Institute of Biomedical Science who are supporting a Media Fellowship in 2024
To support our aims to promote biomedical science to the public and to help ensure our media presence, the IBMS is proud to sponsor a media placement for our members.
With thanks to MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology who are supporting a Media Fellowship in 2024
With thanks to UCL Global Engagement who are supporting the Media Fellowships in 2024
With thanks to Sainsbury Wellcome Centre who are supporting a Media Fellowship in 2024
With thanks to UCL Engineering who are supporting the Media Fellowships in 2024
With thanks to a Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Ernest Rutherford Fellowship and the University of Exeter's Department of Physics and Astronomy who are supporting a Media Fellowship in 2024
With thanks to the School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge who are supporting a Media Fellowship in 2024
With thanks to UCL Language & Cognition Department and the National Institute for Health and Care Research who are supporting a Media Fellowship in 2024.
Could you host an ABSW Media Fellow?
Any media outlet, in any part of the UK, can host a scientist, a clinician or an engineer, for an office-based or remote placement.
The 2023 ABSW Media Fellows have now completed their placements and produced a huge range of content from videos, to radio programmes and news pieces.
From Mermaids to the Milky Way - the 2023 Media Fellows excel as journalists
The class of 2023. Meet this year's nine ABSW Media Fellows, find out more about their research and supporting institutions, and where they are taking up their media placements this summer.
Find out how the ABSW's first ever Media Fellows got on in their placements and enjoy their output from podcasts to news and features.
Media Fellow Alumni 1987 to 2024
