National inspiration guide on societal engagement training programmes features FSE’s SciCom Incubator programme
A new inspiration guide shows how training helps researchers incorporate societal engagement in their careers, building on examples implemented at five different universities.
Science and communication don’t always mix easily, especially for researchers deeply immersed in their work. However, the Recognition & Rewards programme, which aims to diversify academic career paths, increasingly allows an emphasis on societal impact in academic careers. Universities are slowly but surely experimenting with new formats to support academics with an impact focus. One such pilot, the SciCom Incubator, started in 2023 at Maastricht University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) and inspired similar initiatives at other Dutch universities.
So how do you communicate your science effectively? How do you choose the right audience and the best tools to reach them? How can science communication benefit your career? Where is policy moving to? And where do you find professional resources and support? These questions and many more are explored in the SciCom Incubator. The programme combines €5000 seed funding with masterclasses and a year of mentoring, as participants work on their own project. This combination gives participants the opportunity to experiment with the fundamentals of science communication without the strict confines of regular funding schemes. As a result, there is plenty of room to experiment, to challenge ideas and to adjust plans accordingly.
Beer and communication
“For my projects with students, I brew beer inspired by archaeological sources, using plants available in Roman-era South Limburg,” says Kyle Jazwa, a 2026 Incubator participant and assistant professor in archaeology at the Maastricht Science Programme. “I’d been thinking for ages about how to communicate this work. This year, I secured a spot in the SciCom Incubator. The workshops and mentoring have been invaluable in clarifying what I want to say and who I want to reach. The solution turned out to be a website where I can share information about our beers and research and where craft breweries, museums, and other institutions can contribute information about their own archaeologically inspired beers. It thus serves both as a database for my research and as a calendar for events related to ancient beer. Thanks to the funding, I can now build the website and promote it." Kyle is also cooperating with the Stadsbrouwerij Maastricht, giving him access to a highly relevant audience outside of academia.
Maastricht’s SciCom Incubator was initiated by Dieudonnée van de Willige, deputy director of FSE. She was the first in the Netherlands to design an incubator programme based on the demands that Recognition & Rewards pathways place on institutional support for science communication. The programme prepares researchers to develop and execute their own strategic communication plans and take on the role of the primary contact for science communication within their department, offering colleagues guidance on tools, internal and external support networks, and typical science communication challenges.
Lowering barriers
The Faculty of Science and Engineering didn’t stop there, however. The Incubator recently found its permanent home as part of the recently established Connection Lab, a support unit which lowers barriers like funding access, network access and training for academics looking to increase their engagement with society.
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