Applications open for 2026 SciCommBites authors!

Héctor L. Torres VeraWritten byHéctor L. Torres Vera

Author Application Details

Apply here by November 30, at midnight your local timezone.

Application materials: 

  • SciCommBite sample post (750-1000 words). See the SciCommBite Sample Guidelines below.
  • Personal statement (250-350 words) describing why you want to write for SciCommBites. See the Personal Statement Guidelines below.

Author qualifications: We are looking for authors who …

  • Want to gain a deeper understanding of the scicomm literature and bridge research with practice
  • Have some experience with scicomm as a communicator, researcher, student, trainer, etc.
  • Have some experience reading peer-reviewed academic literature (not necessarily in scicomm)
  • Communicate in a timely manner, and can be attentive to deadlines and Slack communications
  • Are open to feedback and have a growth mindset
  • Are interested in learning how to mentor other writers and hone their skills as an editor

Author expectations: Authors alternate between writing a SciCommBite one month and serving as an editor for another writer the next month. During the first three months, authors will receive hands-on training from the senior editing team.

Average Monthly Schedule / Commitment 

  • February 2026 – September 2026 
    • ~14 hours during author months, ~6 hours during editor months
    • Week 1: (2 hours) Authors choose a research article to write about 
    • Week 2:
      • (6-8 hours) Authors write a draft SciCommBite
      • (2 hours) Editors read the research article 
    • Week 3: (2 hours) Authors and Editors review and comment on the draft Bite 
    • Week 4:
      • (2 hours) Authors incorporate feedback and send a second draft to editors. 
      • (2 hours) Editors edit second draft and answer author questions.
    • Week 5: (1-2 hours) Authors finish final edits, proofread and submit final draft of Bite to senior editors.
  • October 2026 – November 2026 
    • ~2 hours a month

Author benefits:  Authors will develop professionally as a writer and editor, become more familiar with scicomm literature, and improve their teamwork and mentoring skills. Other benefits include individual coaching from experienced science communicators, networking with people from institutions worldwide.

Early-career science communicators are encouraged to apply. The authors who write for other Science Bites blogs are often graduate researchers in the science discipline covered by the blog. However, researchers typically become involved in science communication from a diversity of other fields. We want to capture that diversity in our hiring, and thus encourage early career researchers from all science fields to apply. Individuals from underrepresented groups and non-native English speakers are also especially encouraged to apply. If you are passionate about sharing the latest research in science communication research and enjoy writing, we want to hear from you! 

Applications will be accepted until November 30, 2025. Upon submitting the complete application, applicants will receive a confirmation email. Hiring decisions will be sent to applicants by January, and author training will begin the first week of February 2025.

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Personal Statement Guidelines

Your personal statement (~350 words) should give us an idea of why you’re interested in writing for us and what you hope to contribute to SciCommBites. Use this as another chance to show off your writing style!

When crafting your personal statement, keep the following questions in mind:

  • Why are you interested in writing and editing for SciCommBites?
  • What is your prior experience with science communication research or with writing and communicating about science?
  • The role of editor is an important one at SciCommBites. What experience do you have with coaching or mentoring other writers? Or, how do you envision approaching the role of editor?

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SciCommBite Sample Post Guidelines

A SciCommBites post is a ~750 word summary of a research paper on the science of science communication that has been published within the last five years. Please submit a sample post summarizing a science communication research article (that you are not affiliated with) following the SciCommBites style. See the guidelines below for what to include. We also recommend reading a few published SciCommBites to get familiar with our style and how posts are structured. 

Important! If you are hired as an author, we will work with you to edit and publish your application post on the SciCommBites website. So, before you begin writing, please make sure the research article you’ve selected to write about has not already been covered by SciCommBites. You can do this by searching for the authors’ names or the paper title on our website. 

Make sure to include the following in your sample post:

  • The Bite’s title — (one that makes people want to click and read, not necessarily the title of the article)
  • The publication details of the research paper, including paper title, authors, year published, and a link to the published paper. Do not select a paper that has already been covered on SciCommBites.
  • The TL;DR — 1-2 sentences in plain language summarizing the key result or point of the research paper.
  • The “Why I chose this paper” — 1-2 sentences describing what motivated you to choose the paper you did.
  • The intro/lede to the post — The first 1-2 paragraphs of a typical SciCommBites post summarize the larger context for the research, the research question, and the answer (main finding) of the research study. These paragraphs should make us want to see the rest of the post!
  • The body of the post — The body of the post fills in the details on, or fleshes out, the messages and ideas presented in the intro/lede. Please address the following questions in the body of your post:
    • What larger issue in society and science communication (the status quo) did the research aim to address? Or what larger issue motivated the authors to conduct the research? In answering this question, make sure to provide any background readers will need to understand the study, such as an explanation of a key concept.
    • What wasn’t known that the authors wanted to learn? Or what main question(s) did the authors say needed to be answered to make progress on the larger issue?
    • What is the main thing the authors found that answered their question? In other words, what was their main finding?
    • How does the study’s main answer or finding impact the status quo? Or how did the authors say their findings make progress on the larger issue?

In addition …

  • Write at a level appropriate for undergraduates: avoid unnecessary jargon and succinctly explain unfamiliar concepts.
  • We encourage you to add links (in parenthesis) to contextualize unfamiliar content (e.g. existing SciCommBites posts or other websites), where appropriate. 
  • Use your word processor of choice to construct your materials before starting the application. Copy and paste your Personal Statement and Sample Post. 

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SciCommBite sample posts and personal statements are reviewed anonymously. Please do not include any identifying information in your post or statement like your name, affiliation, etc., beyond the requested in the application form. 

We ask for optional demographic information in the application form. Demographic information will be anonymous and only used internally to assess bias in the application process.

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Questions?

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions using our contact form!