Oxford Society for Science Communication and Engagement

25/05/2026

Are you passionate about sharing research in ways that truly connect with different audiences? Curious about what it's like to be part of a student society committee - or already have experience and want to do more? 🤔

OSSCE is opening committee elections! This is your chance to get involved, build skills, and help shape a young society!

Send a short motivation statement to [email protected] telling us why this role excites you. 🤩

Deadline: 28th May

Short role descriptions (see newsletter/WhatsApp for more info):

President: Sets the long-term strategy for the club, chairs meetings, represents the organisation externally.
VP: Supports the president, coordinates the committee.
Treasurer: Manages the club accounts, assists with fundraising, ensures transparency and compliance.
Event officer: Connects with potential speakers, organises and hosts events.
Communication officer x2: Manages social media, creates promotional materials, distributes newsletters and announcements.
Welfare + social secretary: Organises social events, does freshers' fair, supports member welfare.
Outreach officer: Expands membership, engages humanities and undergraduates, builds relationships with the university

27/04/2026

Announcing our first event for this sunny Trinity Term! Struggling to explain your research at family gatherings? Join our interactive workshop and learn how to clearly and confidently communicate your work in 1:1 conversations. Through practical exercises, you'll develop simple ways to summarise your research, make it understandable and keep the conversation flowing. Sign up here:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/DesignPageV2.aspx?subpage=design&FormId=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkeWSJOFBi11LuBf5fDDUZK9UOElQS0ZSOFZONUswTUhKQVpLQkQxREhMSS4u

30/03/2026

💡 The Public & Community Engagement Conference 2026 is open for registration! This conference is open to all, including students, and is hosted in the brand-new Life and Mind Building so it makes a great opportunity to explore. It's one day long, and will explore the following themes:

🤝 Building responsible, trust-centred engagement and knowledge exchange
💪 Strengthening connections, collaboration and infrastructure for impact
🧑‍🎓 Engaging for shared learning, inclusion and local impact

If you want to find out more and sign up, use the following link:

Secure your place today for our one-day conference exploring and celebrating all things public and community engagement with research.

27/02/2026

Have you ever shied away from explaining what you do because you're afraid that it won't be understood correctly? Do you want to communicate your work through social media? Come join OSSCE in our last workshop of Hillary 2026 on communicating theoretical subjects, particularly through social media!

With Dr. Tom Crawford ( ) as our speaker, this workshop is surely something you want to put in your calendar!

⏰ 5:30-7PM, March 2nd, 2026
📍Stocker Room, Brasenose College

25/02/2026

Yesterday was our Scientists in Schools workshop! Here's what Anthony Limburg, our Member Lead Officer, had to say:

"This week, we were fortunate to host Sean Elias, Public Engagement and Research Lead at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, for a workshop on how to engage children with science effectively.

Sean placed particular emphasis on the power of props, discovery, and strong visuals in bringing science to life. Physical objects and demonstration materials create an immediate focal point and invite participation. When children can hold, manipulate, or experiment with something tangible, the experience shifts from passive listening to active exploration. He encouraged creating moments of guided discovery, where the outcome is not announced in advance but uncovered together through observation and questioning.

We were invited to design our own workshops which, with the help of the Scientists in Schools charity, can in the future be carried out at primary and secondary schools around Oxford.

Fittingly, Sean’s workshop on how to captivate children turned out to be just as captivating for a room full of academics. Which, depending on your perspective, either speaks to his exceptional skill, or suggests we are not that different from the children we aim to inspire."

24/02/2026

If you're a grad student interested in local policy, Oxford's Local Policy Lab is accepting applications for their Fellowship Programme! Check it out here:

The University of Oxford’s ambitions to do more in the local community and to strengthen links and coordination with the county, city and district councils are stronger than ever. The Local Policy Lab is a strategic alliance between the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and Oxfordshi...

24/02/2026

Applications for the Nuffield Foundation POST Fellowship are now open! If you are a social/life sciences PhD student interested in science and policy, give it a look:

The POST Fellowship is open to any PhD students in a scientific or quantitative social science field who are undertaking or have recently finished their PhD studies.

18/02/2026

Last Friday may have been the 13th, but OSSCE had the good luck of hearing from Dr. Fiona Suttle on how to turn your science into a compelling narrative. Thanks, Fiona, for your time! If you attended, let us know what your favourite insights in the comments 👇

13/02/2026

Do you remember how you first got into science? For many people, schools are where they first encounter and are fascinated by science. As scientists, we could nurture this curiosity and exploration by bringing our research to schools. But how do we do it in a way that inspires students?

Join us for a workshop run by Dr. Sean Elias, Public Engagement Lead at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, in conjunction with the Scientists in Schools program. Learn how best to engage children and teenagers in your research, and find out about future opportunities with Scientists in Schools.

The workshop is on the 24th of February, from 18:30-20:00 in the Stocker Room at Brasenose College . Sign up here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/Js8WfJREbM

06/02/2026

Yesterday evening's panel discussion on public engagement was a roaring success, with insightful commentary from across disciplines in the beautiful ambiance of the Holywell Music Room. Many thanks to our speakers - Prof. Irene Tracey, Tom Saunders, Rebecca Hill and Hazel Beaver - as well as Luisa Haiß for organising and hosting the event. Let us know your takeaways from the talk in the comments!