Chantal Barriault, director of Laurentian University’s science communication graduate program, has received $20,000 from the federal government in Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
This grant is intended to help skilled communicators share their knowledge with faculty, researchers, and graduate students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), to improve their skills in effectively communicating their work with public audiences.
The Science Communication Skills pilot grant was awarded to Barriault, along with 20 other chosen recipients out of more than a hundred applicants across the country. The grant will aid the Northern Ontario STEM community in contributing to science literacy and counteract science-related misinformation.
As supported by the grant, Laurentian University will deliver, in partnership with Science North, essential training in science communication through virtual and in-person interactive workshops. Funding will be allocated to creating a model for science communication training that can be scaled up and delivered beyond Northern Ontario, in both English and French.
Barriault hopes to demonstrate proof of concept through this pilot project to secure further funding in the future.
“This award demonstrates that Laurentian delivers a world-leading graduate program in science communication and that we are trusted to empower researchers and science faculty all over Northern Ontario to communicate their work effectively,” said Barriault, in a press release.
