The new initiative of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), which is funded by Zukunft Österreich fund (FZÖ), serves the purpose of modern, inclusive science communication for a target group of 10 to 14-year-olds. Social media should not be left to conspiracy theorists or enemies of science. Those voices should be countered with a format at the target group's level that teaches science-based content as comprehensibly and accessibly as possible.
Using the funds provided by Fonds Zukunft Österreich (FZÖ) ÖAW is developing an innovative video format for science communication in digital space, in particular in social media, that is suitable for the target group. Researches will be given the opportunity to present their scientific work and projects with the help of a professional video team and to create understanding and spark enthusiasm among children and young persons for science and for their own research work. The video packages and more detailed information will also be provided to teachers for teaching scientific content to their classes.
The videos will be recorded in German at the sites of the young people themselves, e.g. in schools or different youth groups. The project manager(s) will consider the researchers' limited time as best as possible. ÖAW's Communications Department will coordinate production of the various video formats, scheduling, organisation, etc.
Promotion of young talent is of great importance to the Austrian Academy of Sciences as part of the initiative.
The initiative addresses researchers from all disciplines who want to make their quality-assured scientific projects known to a broad public in the target group of 10 to 14-year-olds with the help of a professional environment and in this way make a major contribution to the fight against the anti-science mindset. Quality assurance means research for which third-party funds, e.g. ERC, FWF or WWTF projects or post-doc or PhD fellowships have been raised. Thus, the initiative also addresses young scientists who want to contribute to science communication at an early stage of their career.
Submission of research projects the quality of which was assured by FWF, ERC, PhD fellowships, post-doc fellowships, … . The videos will be recorded in German and subtitled in other languages.
Equal to the duration of production of a video package
Researchers will be given a voucher for the production of a video package. The voucher may not be cashed in.
The voucher will cover
The call for proposals is open to all topics and published all over Austria. A jury consisting of representatives of science and communication of ÖAW and FWF, as well as of experts in the fields of media and education will choose the submissions that are suitable for the programme according to editorial selection criteria and excellence in research and communication as well as diversity (gender, career stage, discipline, institution).
Call begins: 2 October 2023
Call ends: 5 November 2023
Selection: By the end of 2023
To be sent by email to programmmanagement(at)oeaw.ac.at by 5 November 2023:
All submissions which meet the necessary formal application requirements (see application requirements) will be presented to the jury. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified of the rejection in a timely manner.
By taking part in this call for proposals the applicants acknowledge that the related data and documents will be forwarded to the members of the jury and to experts. The data and documents will be forwarded for the purpose of evaluation of the application and decision-making with regard to the award of funds (see also the Data Protection Information of ÖAW). ÖAW abides by the Guidelines of Good Scientific Practice of the Austrian Agency for Research Integrity (ÖAWI).
Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW)
National and International Programmes Department
Alexander Nagler
programmmanagement(at)oeaw.ac.at
+43 1 515 81-1272; -1270