Stories

As Civic Science Fellows, Clio Heslop and Melanie Brown were hosted by the US–UK Fulbright Commission in partnership with organizations in the United States—Clio (as part of the 2020–21 cohort) with the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin and Melanie (as part of the 2021–23 cohort) with the University of Oregon’s Center for Science Communication Research. To open this issue of the Civic Science Series, we invited them to share insights from an event they recently co-chaired at the British Library. 

Dear Civic Science Community, 

Earlier this month, we chaired a panel discussion at the British Library that explored the cultures of science on either side of the Atlantic—and the power of civic science to connect science with people.

Hosted by the US–UK Fulbright Commission in partnership with the British Library’s Eccles Institute, one of the aims of the discussion was to introduce the idea of civic science, a term that is relatively unknown in the United Kingdom and invites us to see the role of science in new ways. 

“When you add the word ‘civic’ to ‘science,’ you put in the missing piece for science as it serves the public. You’re making the connections that help scientists better serve their communities with their research,” said panelist Mariette DiChristina, Dean of the College of Communication at Boston University and former Editor-in-Chief of Scientific American. “And why do we need it now? There are challenging, multidisciplinary, strident issues of the day, from climate change to public health to how to incorporate AI, where the answers aren’t always what the science says—the answers are what we decide to do as a community. And that’s where the civic comes in.”

One of us (Melanie) shared her surprise at how many “I believe in science” lawn signs she saw during her fellowship in the United States—implying that many Americans do not share this view. In the United States, public trust in science has been weakened by politicization of many issues, and by a polarized media landscape. In the United Kingdom, science is less contentious. But while science is highly trusted in the UK, it can seem quite separate from daily lives and conversations. 

Panelist Mark Miodownik, a bestselling author and the University College London Professor of Materials and Society, shared reflections on his career “living” civic science. Through participatory projects like assessing the rate of decomposition of household plastics and other waste, he has built a network of thousands of citizen scientists and a truly interdisciplinary research team. 

“Unless we all participate, we won’t find the complex compromises between what is possible and what we are going to do, and how we’re going to bring in those who are the worst affected and make sure they are supported,” he said.

Cultural change within the science community will also be important. Mark shared that his work with community members has demonstrated the power of collaborations to improve research, as well as engage members of society in the practice of science and its impact. It has also required him to become more comfortable with vulnerability and discomfort, and to build in the additional time it takes to build relationships. He noted that at the beginning of his career people looked down on public engagement work, but it’s starting to be valued more—a real sign of progress. The challenge ahead is to build long-term support for civic science work, on both sides of the pond. 

Clio Heslop and Melanie Brown

Clio Heslop
Head of Policy, Partnerships, and Impact, British Science Association
UK–US Civic Science Fellow, 2020–21 cohort

Melanie Brown
Journalist and Producer, BBC Studios
UK–US Civic Science Storytelling Fellow, 2021–23 cohort