The British Science Association (BSA) and the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW) are delighted to announce a new partnership to continue the long-running Media Fellowships scheme. ABSW will take over the management and administration of the scheme in 2022, also their 75th anniversary year.  

In June 2021, the BSA announced that after 34 successful years of running the Media Fellowships programme, we would be seeking a new partner to take on the scheme. We invited any organisation with a connection to science media reporting to express interest. This decision will enable the BSA to devote more resources to growing our programmes that embody our vision of enabling science to be more relevant, representative, and connected to society.  

Media Fellowships began in 1987, with the aim of improving links between science and the media. The programme places working scientists and engineers at a national news or media outlet for two to six weeks giving them experience in, and helping them gain an understanding of, newsrooms.  

The BSA believes that ABSW are an ideal partner for Media Fellowships, as they are well-connected with media professionals, already run training and development programmes, and have an active network of members.  

Katherine Mathieson, Chief Executive of the British Science Association said: 

“We are proud of all the achievements that our Media Fellows have made over the past 35 years in contributing to strengthening the relationship between researchers and the media. We are pleased that the scheme will continue as a result of this partnership under the direction of the experienced team.  

“We will be working closely with ABSW over the coming months to ensure the transfer of the scheme is smooth and successful, and we look forward to seeing how it develops under their stewardship.” 

Andy Extance, Chair of the Association of British Science Writers said:  

“The media landscape looks very different now to when these Fellowships started in 1987, however the need to develop understanding and respect between scientists and journalists remains. We look forward to working with our members to continue to give scientists a real taste of the newsroom, and believe the Fellowships will contribute to our aim of championing independence and excellence in the reporting of science, medicine, engineering and technology.” 

The Media Fellowship programme under the BSA

Find out more about the Association of British Science Writers

Read about the BSA's 10 year strategy focusing on underrepresented and underserved audiences