Life as a Freelance SciCommer in India

Understand the tradecraft and get a chance to get mentored personally!

With Ipsa Jain

What this SciComm Foster offers

This SciComm Foster aims to introduce the participants to the nuances of being a freelance science communicator in India. Science communication as a career form is yet to take shape in India, while baby steps are being taken at different levels to build it. Efforts could be from governmental organisations and institutes to small enterprises such as ours to individual science communicators. Many MSc and PhD students are looking to pivot towards science communication, either wanting to work part-time or make a career out of it. In any case, many opportunities can be experimented with and explored while there’s little direction for the same.

This Foster is an attempt to address the same. We want to introduce and discuss the important aspects of freelancing as a science communicator in India through this Foster. Here’s what we are going to discuss:

1. What it means to become a freelance science communicator in India.
2. The importance of building a portfolio, how to get started
3. How networking is underrated
4. Project planning and management
5. Client management
6. …and more

This SciComm Foster is for you if you are

1. A Masters student, PhD or Postdoc fellow and anywhere in between
2. Looking to become a freelance science communicator in the near future or later
3. Are already a science communicator but want to become independent and become a freelancer
4. Are a beginner science communicator and want to understand the dynamics of freelancing
5. An artist wanting to understand and learn the rules of the realm of digital illustrations.
6. Any student or researcher in the sciences wanting to learn 3D illustrations for their study or research purposes.

You walk away with

1. A sense of understanding on becoming a freelance science communicator
2. Experiences and learnings of a seasoned freelance science communicator from India
3. A basic framework to get started
4. Ideas to improvise your current methods

Criteria

Any student or researcher in the sciences can apply as long as their goal for enrolment is to understand the nuances of freelancing as a science communicator in India.

Format of the Foster

This is a mini-SciComm Foster with one interactive live 90 minute-session.

Although, after the session, you get a chance to pitch your plan and get mentored one-on-one by Ipsa herself. While the live session is open for all, pitching for the one-on-one mentoring is suggested only for participants who are already freelancing or have a freelance project that needs help in execution. Please note that only one person will be selected out of the participants who pitch for it. You will be mentored for a 3-month period and can be tailored to your needs.

Registration Fee

About the Mentor — Ipsa Jain

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Ipsa is a scientist turned illustrator from Bengaluru, India. After pursuing a PhD, she forayed into science illustration. During an unusual post-doctoral fellowship with Dr Minhaj Sirajuddin at inStem, she got the opportunity to work on scientific visualization and science storytelling. She works with various scientists and scientific institutes to share their science with varied audiences, peers, and the public. She makes STEM-based zines and children’s books. She also spends a lot of her time sharing what she has learnt via courses, talks, and workshops across the country.

Important dates

Please address any queries to contact.scirio@gmail.com with the subject line including the phrase – “Freelancing SciComm Foster”.