Happy Monday! Today’s topic is about transitioning from the lab bench into #scicomm

First, I want to tell you a little bit about my personal experiences in this realm and some tips I've learned along the way, but then I want to hear from you!

I have always been a writer, of sorts, but I didn’t get involved with #scicomm until I joined a local nonprofit called Ask a Scientist at UTK during grad school. It was a great way to get my feet wet in the world of science writing. It also gave me editorial experience.

Getting involved in #scicomm with your university (if you are a student) is a great way to get started, but there are other doors into the world of #scicomm!

One huge resource that people interesting in transitioning into #scicomm should look into is the NPR SciCommers program started by @joesbigidea.

My career in science writing was essentially launched by @joesbigidea and the NPR SciCommers. Without a doubt, this group has opened many doors in #scicomm for me and has been critical in my transition from working solely at the lab bench.

Through the NPR SciCommers program, I learned how to pitch (we’ll talk about this more on Wednesday!), and I published my first few articles through their ‘Office Hours’ program. Shout out to @maddie_sofia and @travlinscientst!

As a member of their slack channel, you will also have access to unique job opportunity announcements and great mentor chats. February’s mentor chat will feature @DrMarisaGFranco, author of #Platonic - I am super excited to hear about what it’s like to publish a #scicomm book!

Additionally, @massivesci has an amazing #scicomm training program. Becoming a Consortium member for a small, one time fee (currently $10 dollars), will allow you access to their training program. They even pay their writers!

If you are a graduate student or postdoc in science and are interested in #scicomm – I also suggest you check out @ComSciCon.

@ComSciCon is a #scicomm training workshop series designed for trainees. They host a yearly national event, and there are also numerous satellite and regional workshops, such as @ComSciConSciWri (which I help organize!) and @ComSciConTri.