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Science Leadership Program

Science Leadership Program

May 2-4, 2013

The Science Leadership Program (SLP) aims to provide outstanding academic scientists with the skills, approaches and frameworks for engaging more effectively with the media, the decision makers and the public throughout their careers. Designed by Prof. Ray Jayawardhana, Senior Advisor on Science Engagement to the President of the University of Toronto, with the guidance of a planning advisory group, the SLP will build a network of top researchers across the UofT and other research-intensive universities in Canada, who share a common set of goals and to connect them with leaders of relevant external organizations and media to help foster a culture change.

 

The inaugural 'boot camp' for a select group of faculty members will begin with a reception on the evening of Thursday May 2 and end with a group dinner on Saturday May 4. It will consist of a series of hands-on training sessions on communications, outreach and leadership, discussion panels and opportunities for interaction. Experienced trainers and prominent practitioners will lead the sessions and participate in the panels. For example, Nancy Houfek, head of voice & speech at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard will run a session on ‘the performance art of science presentation’; several top journalists, including Geoffrey Carr of The Economist and Ivan Semeniuk of Globe & Mail, will discuss opportunities and challenges of media engagement; there will be parallel sessions on effective online communications, featuring well known bloggers including Marie Claire Shanahan and Colin Schultz, and on publishing popular science books with top literary agents, such as Rick Broadhead, and editors, including Nick Garrison of Penguin Canada. Other session topics include affecting policy, community involvement and team building. Howard Alper, Chair of Industry Canada's Science, Technology and Innovation Council, and David Naylor, President of U of T, will also address the participants. Given the intensity and the nature of the training, participants are expected to commit to the full two days of the program.

 

Over the course of the following year, the SLP Fellows are expected to put into practice what they learn at the workshop to further their vision for broad engagement through outreach initiatives, community partnerships, mentoring programs or writing/speaking for the public. They are also expected to attend two gatherings to share their experiences and best practices with the other Fellows.

For the inaugural SLP, we expect to select about 12 participants from UofT and about 8 more from other research-intensive Canadian universities. Selection criteria include:

• excellence in scientific/engineering/medical research and teaching;
• passion and capacity to exercise leadership and enthusiasm for communicating science;
• interest, willingness and appropriate professional position to engage with stakeholders; and,
• commitment to participate fully in the training program and follow-up activities.

 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

UofT applicants:

Please complete the form and submit electronically along with your curriculum vitae and arrange to submit one letter of reference from your department chair, dean or other senior colleague who can elaborate why you would be a good candidate to the e-mail address below.

Non-UofT applicants:

The Provost (or the designate) should send the nomination, along with the form completed by the nominee and the nominee’s curriculum vitae, electronically to the e-mail address below.

APPLICATION FORM

Please contact Amanda Bello at SLPapply@utoronto.ca for further information.