Brand new for 2015

By Imran Khan, Chief Executive of the British Science Association

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It’s going to be a big year for the British Science Association, and we’d love you to be a part of it.

2015 will be the first full year of our brand new vision and strategy being in effect, the year where we start our push to radically change the way society sees science and the way science sees itself.

We think that science shouldn’t be seen as the domain of professional researchers and scientific elites, but as a normalised part of society that lots of people have a stake in. People who identify with science have probably had a scientific education - but the same isn’t necessarily true for other parts of our culture. Think of art, running, politics, photography, or music. They're all fields with an expert, professional class, and all fields with a wide appeal to a broader community.

Doing this for science might be a generational change, but we’re making a start in 2015 by beginning the revamp of our activities.

British Science Week (13-22nd March) will see the launch of new partnerships, including an exciting collaboration with Kids Company that is focused on bringing science engagement to some of society’s vulnerable young people
A revamped Science Communication Conference leaves the South-east for the first time, heading to Manchester with a mission to connect the UK’s top science communicators with best practice and inspiration from other fields
We’re supporting a brand new network of Policy Debates, to help grassroots groups - whether or not they’ve engaged in science before - to have independent debates on scientific controversies and how they affect society
Partnering with the Royal Society of Chemistry we’re rolling out new grants to help bring science to the public in town centres - reaching people who wouldn’t necessarily think they belong at science festivals or centres
Launching two new Award Lectures to take place at the British Science Festival – one for science and the arts, in partnership with the V&A, the other to reward digital innovation
… and lots more which is still under wraps!

All of this is is being done with the aim of creating a bigger community of people who believe that science is a fundamental part of our culture. And with that in mind, we want to hear how you think we can better achieve our goal.

Do you have ideas on partners from outside the world of science we could work with? Do you want to volunteer with us in your own community? Have you got advice on how our existing programmes - like the British Science Festival, CREST Awards, and Media Fellowships - could better connect with different parts of society?

Leave your comments below or email us - and watch this space.

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