Retooling methods of scientific communication

Overview

Question: How can we validate and communicate science and data in a way that is trusted, faster, and understandable?
View Contributions: https://www.pandemicresponsecolab.org/challenges/2020/retooling-methods-of-scientific-communication
Submit Contributions: https://www.pandemicresponsecolab.org/challenges/2020/retooling-methods-of-scientific-communication/createProposal
Rules: All entrants must agree to the Challenge rules and Terms of Use
Deadline: Friday, Jan 15, 2021 at 23:59:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
Judging Criteria & Prizes: See below.

Key Issues

Some areas of opportunity to consider are:

 

How we can develop novel ways to share data globally.

 

How we can incentivize rapid reproduction and validation of critical research.

 

How we can accelerate the validation and sharing of scientific insights.

 

How we can improve communication within the scientific community.

 

How we can accelerate peer review processes while maintaining high standards of scientific rigor.

 

How we can build trust in scientific information and new forms of communication, especially in communities who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

 

How we can use existing communication channels to share scientific insights with a broader audience.

 

How we can re-design or build new institutions that the public can trust.

 

How we can reduce the spread of miscommunication.

 

How we can ensure a consistent flow of validated information.

 

How we can make scientific information understandable for everyone.

 

How we can encourage communication between scientists and the general public.

 

How we can improve scientists’ communication skills.

Judging Criteria

Subject matter experts will evaluate the solutions submitted to the challenge to identify possible promising ideas. Sometimes there is one who stands above the rest, and sometimes there are two to three. This is not a typical challenge where there are winners and losers. We are hoping to build a much more inclusive and collaborative platform to encourage others to cross-pollinate ideas and work together.

Prizes

There may be some novel and promising solutions that will emerge and those will receive the following: 

 

1) Visibility in the form of an announcement by MIT Pandemic Response CoLab on MIT News;

 

2) A badge for their social media platforms and Pandemic Response CoLab that shows they were selected as a “Most Promising Solution” by experts;

 

Personal mentorship (minimum three months)

• Pairing with innovation leader within MilliporeSigma who is an expert in the related field.
• Minimum of three 1:1, 60 minute calls over the course of a three-month period to further refine their idea and/or make introductions to other leaders in the MilliporeSigma network.

Free ticket to attend Curious2021 Future Insight Conference, hosted by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

• Selected contributor(s) will receive a free ticket to attend the Curious2021 Future Insight Conference, taking place on July 12 – 14 of 2021 near Frankfurt, Germany. Some of the world’s best scientists and most accomplished entrepreneurs come together at the Curious – Future Insight conference to present their work and to join forces to solve the challenges of today and to enable the dreams of a better tomorrow. The conference was initiated at the occasion of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s 350th anniversary and will take place again in 2021 with an outstanding speaker panel involving more than a dozen Nobel Laureates and 70 top speakers from all over the world. The conference also features the awarding of the 2021 Future Insight Prize (up to 1 mio€/year for groundbreaking science given out for the next 35 years).The life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operates as MilliporeSigma in the US and Canada.
• Normally a €892.50 cost, the ticket includes: access to all stages, listening to key-note speakers, ignite-sessions and panel discussions; access to the exhibition and e-poster areas; participation at AMA-circle and workshop offers (depending on availability of spots); networking through the Event App; participation at the evening events; daily catering.

A spot at the 2021 Innovation Cup*, hosted by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

• This week-long workshop brings the brightest students from all over the world to meet at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s company headquarters to work in teams to develop new, innovative ideas for unmet medical needs and build a business case with support from experienced professionals – with a chance to win shared prizes of €20,000 for the winning team and €5,000 for the runner-up.The life science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operates as MilliporeSigma in the US and Canada.
• Provided the contributor meets program criteria*, one selected winning community member will receive a guaranteed spot to take part in Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany’s Innovation Cup, taking place on June 26 – July 2 of 2021, as part of team “pandemic threat,” which will focus on innovative approaches to fight emerging pandemics.

*Applicants must be postgraduate students in the life sciences working towards a PhD in biology, medicine, biotech, bioinformatics, computer science, data science, biochemistry, chemistry, pharmacy, engineering or related fields. Postdoctoral students, advanced MBA students or recent MBA graduates with an interest in the pharmaceutical business and a background in life sciences are also welcome. This program is not open to healthcare professionals.