05/2025 – 04/2028
Klaus Tschira Stiftung
Prof. Dr. Joachim Wirth
Dr. Jens Fleischer
Dr. Rebecca Krebs
Hannover
Prof. Dr. Till Bruckermann
Dr. Johanna Börsting
Vanessa van den Bogaert
Karlsruhe
Dr. Philipp Niemann
Dr. Katharina Christ
Competent science communication, not only within the scientific system, but also in the sense of transacademic communication, especially with society, business, and politics, has been gaining importance for some time, not least within the so-called “third mission” for universities and scientific institutions. Competent science communication is seen as key to strengthening society's scientific literacy and ensuring informed trust in science. However, scientists have not yet been systematically trained in this skill, partly because there is still no clear and well-founded idea of which sub-skills make up science communication competence (WiKoKo) and how these relate to each other. This is where the project comes in. In a first step, various scientific methods (literature and curriculum analysis, Delphi study) will be used to identify sub-skills for successful science communication by scientists and integrate these into a theoretical model of WiKoKo. This theoretical model will then be tested for validity and internal structure, and thus for its suitability for describing WiKoKo, using various empirical methods (expert ratings, experimental training studies, correlative factor-analytical studies). At the end of the project, an empirically tested competency structure model for science communication will be available, along with test and questionnaire instruments for assessing the sub-competencies it contains and training courses for promoting them. The project thus contributes both to basic research on science communication and to the practical assessment and promotion of WiKoKo among scientists.