Are you interested in connecting to the public with your research? If so, you're in luck. SciFund Challenge is organizing an outreach training class for scientists that will be running for five weeks, from late September to late October. The class is free and is intended for scientists that are new to outreach, but would like to get started with it. The class is open to scientists at any level, in any discipline. The class will be conducted over the Internet, so all countries are welcome. The deadline to fill out the short application form is September 18th. 

Outreach 101 for Scientists: Getting started with engaging the public with your science

Cost: FREE. However, we aren’t just giving this course away. Course participants must pledge to share what they have learned with their colleagues.

When: September 21-October 25, 2014 (five weeks)

Where: The Internet! This course will be highly interactive and will take place largely through short videos, Google Hangouts, blog posts, and Twitter.

Who: Active scientists in any country in any discipline at any level (from graduate student to emeritus professor to government scientist to NGO scientist). This course is intended for scientists who are new to outreach, but are interested in getting started with it.

What course participants will gain from the course:

• Confidence to get started with outreach.
• Understanding of how to communicate their science in a manner that is compelling to the general public.
• Overview comprehension of the many ways that scientists can engage the public.
• The syllabus for last year’s outreach course is here and this year’s class will be similar.

Time that course participants should expect to spend on course: 3-4 hours per week.

Expected number of course participants: Roughly 100.

Deadline for completing course application (application here): September 18, 2014. Last year, this course maxed out within a week of the course announcement, so don’t wait to apply if you are interested. Decisions on applications will be given within three days of submission.

Requirements for course participants. Course participants must:

1. be fluent in written and spoken English
2. have access to a computer with a webcam or other video/audio recording device
3. have broadband access to the Internet (minimum connection speed: 1 mbps upload, 4 mbps download)
4. want to have fun