Science Journalism Portfolio

The Kavli Foundation began supporting science journalism in the early 2000s. By 2008, a portfolio formed with the primary objectives of building capacity and enabling knowledge-sharing among science journalists and honoring science reporting, by endowing the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards which remain today.

Building Capacity

In response to expressed needs and opportunities within the science journalism community, The Kavli Foundation developed a portfolio of activities designed to support training and capacity-building for science journalists. Examples of this work included workshops at global scientific meetings, such as AAAS, and journalism conferences, including the National Association of Science Writers and the World Conference of Science Journalists. Work soon morphed into niche efforts, such as the unique needs of science editors to help deepen their understanding of science and strengthen their editing. A series of in-person science editing workshops were developed with the MIT Knight School of Journalism and subsequently the creation of a world-class science editing handbook and translated into multiple languages.

Another example was a partnership with The Open Notebook to provide free online Science Master Classes, to help science journalists at any career stage sharpen their abilities to find and vet ideas, craft effective pitches, report and write impactful stories, collaborate with editors, and more. Thousands of journalists worldwide have accessed the free courses.

Closing a Portfolio

After more than a decade of support, in 2019 the foundation began reassessing its science journalism efforts with the aim of aligning any future efforts with its programmatic priorities. The strategies to support science journalists with capacity building and training sunset in 2023. Select, future funding efforts related to science journalism will align with specific, and current, foundation programmatic priorities.