January 15, 2025
Agronomy professors Joshi and Jha earn prestigious science communication fellowships
Deepak Joshi and Gaurav Jha, both assistant professors of agronomy, have been awarded the prestigious honors of the 2025 SCIP Fellowship and the 2025 SciComm Identities Project Fellowship, respectively.
Joshi's SCIP Fellowship is a one-year professional development program designed for pre-tenure faculty. It was initiated by the Metcalf Institute and the Science and Story Lab at the University of Rhode Island, in collaboration with the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University. Researchers from any field of natural or social science and engineering closely related to the theme of that year's cohort can participate in this fellowship program. The theme for the 2025 cohort emphasizes the connection between climate change and agriculture, aquaculture and food security.
During the one-year period, SCIP Fellows will develop expertise and hands-on experience in science communication while expanding their professional networks, fostering new collaborations and generating fresh research insights. As an SCIP Fellow, each participant will have the opportunity to receive science communication training to enhance skills in group dialogue, writing and storytelling. In addition to two in-person training sessions, fellows will also develop skills related to podcast production. Travel and lodging costs for the in-person sessions will be covered by the organizers, and a $5,000 honorarium will be provided.
Jha's SciComm Identities Project Fellowship is designed to help underrepresented scientists enhance their science communication skills, particularly around climate change, agriculture and food security, and includes a $5,000 honorarium. Jha's selection is based on his work in precision agriculture, climate resiliency and sustainability, which aligns with the fellowship theme for 2025: agriculture, aquaculture and food insecurity related to climate change. As part of the one-year fellowship, he will participate in workshops and virtual training sessions that focus on improving science communication with diverse communities. This opportunity will allow him to expand the reach of his research, contributing to important conversations about climate change and agriculture.
The SciComm Identities Project is a program designed to help scientists from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups improve how they communicate their research. Supported by a National Science Foundation grant, the program focuses on training early-career faculty, especially those studying environmental and energy issues, to share their work in ways that connect with diverse communities. The project also aims to create new science communication resources, such as podcasts and training materials, while encouraging universities to recognize science communication as a valuable part of academic work.
"Kudos to our self-motivated faculty members who are always looking for opportunities to improve their talents and scientific communication," said Raj Khosla, agronomy department head. "I am pleased that they will be part of these scientific communication fellowships."