Kiel Science Communication Network Receives Follow-Up Funding to Ensure Continuity
Long-term Link Between Science Communication Research and Evidence-Based Practice in Kiel
Following a successful evaluation, the Kiel Science Communication Network (KielSCN) has been granted a three-year follow-up funding through November 2029 under the “Science Communication to the Power of Three—Centers for Science Communication Research” funding program. This decision was made by the Board of Trustees of the VolkswagenFoundation at its June meeting. After establishing structures and generating research findings on mechanisms of impact, the focus in the second project phase will be on institutionalizing knowledge exchange that permanently links research with evidence-based science communication practice.
In-Depth Study of Emotional Processes and Trust Dynamics
As one of only four centers for science communication research in Germany, KielSCN has been funded by the VolkswagenFoundation since December 2021. The overarching goal of the first funding phase was to improve visual science communication based on research findings. A key focus was on identifying central mechanisms of influence, particularly in the communication of health-related topics. Building on these findings, the research agenda for the second phase delves deeper into the study of emotional processes and trust dynamics.
“Various studies have shown that emotions and trust play a decisive role in the public perception of scientific content,” said Melanie Keller, a professor at the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN) and at Kiel University (CAU). “We will build on this in the coming years: we want to understand how short-term emotional reactions and judgments of trust interact with long-term attitudes toward science—and how science communication can constructively guide and support this process.”
Development and Testing of Broker Profiles as Interfaces Between Research and Practice
Another key focus was the transdisciplinary exchange between science communication research and practice. It became apparent that such processes are currently still largely project-based and insufficiently institutionalized. Building on these experiences, the KielSCN is working in the second phase of the project, under the leadership of Dr. Carolin Enzingmüller and Dr. Willi Scholz, to establish sustainable structures for knowledge exchange and transfer. To this end, the team is developing and testing, among other things, so-called “broker profiles.” These are specific roles that serve as interfaces between KielSCN’s research on science communication and practitioners in the field. They build on the experiences and findings of the first funding phase and focus on three areas: visual design, embedded evaluation formats for practice, and continuing education and training.
“The broker concept will enable KielSCN to implement the Volkswagen Foundation’s vision of science communication cubed within a sustainable framework for evidence-based science communication,” says KielSCN spokesperson Ilka Parchmann, department director at IPN Kiel. “Together with strategic partners from the fields of health sciences, science communication, and design practice, these brokers develop case studies that are then tested in real-world situations. Research findings on emotions and trust are thus incorporated into design concepts, evaluation formats, and training approaches. The resulting empirical and experiential insights are then systematically fed back into the research.”
Close Collaboration Between IPN Kiel and Kiel University Along with other Partners
IPN Kiel will continue to coordinate the project during the second phase. Two professorships based here, with a focus on science communication, will ensure continuity beyond the funding period. They will assume leadership of research at KielSCN starting in December 2026. The co-applicant is the CAU, which is making targeted investments in long-term personnel structures to sustainably strengthen science communication as a strategic area of action. This enables the institutional integration of brokerage activities, results, and profiles into scaling processes with stakeholders both in Kiel and beyond. Networks and intermediary organizations further strengthen the institutional reach. These include the Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts, Open Campus, and Spektrum der Wissenschaft as project partners, which have been enriching KielSCN since 2021. New partners joining the initiative are Wissenschaft im Dialog and the Leibniz Research Network “Evidence-Based Science Communication.”
Overview of the Project Management Team
Spokesperson and Scientific Head
Prof. Dr. Melanie Keller
Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education
(IPN)
Head of Knowledge Exchange
Dr. Carolin Enzingmüller
Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education
(IPN) and Kiel University (CAU)
Operational Management and Head of Transfer
Dr. Willi Scholz
Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education
(IPN)
About KielSCN
The Kiel Science Communication Network (KielSCN) develops new approaches to communicating scientific content. Its focus is on the visualization of information and how it is perceived. What defines high-quality visualizations in science communication, and how are they developed? How do different target audiences perceive visualizations, and how can design features support the achievement of goals in science communication? What do researchers, students, and young people need to effectively communicate scientific findings using visual means? The interdisciplinary KielSCN team addresses these questions through various research initiatives and projects.
In the second project phase, the focus is not only on research into trust, emotions, and visual science communication but also, in particular, on the systematic exchange of knowledge between research and practice. The goal is to develop sustainable structures that more effectively translate scientific findings into the practice of science communication while simultaneously making practical experience available to research.
The VolkswagenFoundation has been funding KielSCN since 2021 as one of four consortia nationwide under the “Science Communication to the Power of Three – Centers for Science Communication Research” funding program. With the second project phase, funding will continue through 2029.
