The Call for Contributions is now closed.
NAMES Conference Program Committee (NCPC 2024) launched this Call for Contributions on 19 October 2023 to those interested in attending NAMES 2024 Conference, 7-9 May, hosted by and at Konya Science Center, Türkiye. The Call closed on 10 December and the NCPC 2024 is currently reviewing the received proposals; feedback will be sent to those who have submitted contribution proposals before 18 January 2024.
The Conference’s overarching theme is Forward Together (معًا إلى الأمام); it is a call to gather as a community and discuss ways to maintain relevancy and deal with the challenges facing science engagement within our institutions, considering recent and ongoing global changes.
NAMES 2024 welcomes contributions for:
- 10-min talks
Speakers are invited to participate in plenary panel sessions covering various thematic topics as listed here.
- 60-min Workshops
Workshop leaders are welcome to lead interactive learning sessions.
- MakerSpace Activities
MakerSpace leaders are invited to submit interactive and informative sessions on activities and research relevant to the maker community.
- Case Studies
Presenters are invited to share an abstract with the NCPC 2024 and an appropriate presentation.
All contributors must register for the conference and pay the registration fee.
Please read the following information carefully before submitting your contribution proposal:
NAMES Conference Purpose
NAMES Conference serves two main purposes:
- Sharing knowledge and expertise.
- Assisting science centers and museums, as well as their staff, in achieving the highest professional standards.
NAMES 2024 Theme
Our audience's needs, expectations, and perspectives have evolved in tandem with the emergence of digital tools and solutions. Modern educational techniques have gained global prominence thanks to these tools. Digital media now serves as a fundamental mode of communication, seamlessly integrated into our organizational structure and even shaping in-gallery aesthetics. As a result, digital visitor experiences have become the new norm, blurring the distinction between digital and nondigital. These tools offer abundant opportunities to enhance operations, interpret content, engage visitors, and collect data, prompting our institutions to realign their missions and objectives.
NAMES 2024 seeks answers to essential questions: How can we design for effective science engagement as we are reacting to up to date needs of both users and science communicators? What impacts have recent challenges had on our sector? How have visitors' needs, expectations, and experiences changed? How can we leverage data analysis effectively? What influence will trending topics like Global Warming have on science engagement and our institutions? What will be the implications of big data and artificial intelligence in this context?
Together, we aim to explore these questions to better understand the future of our field.
Proposal Submission Timeline
- Thursday, 19 October 2023 – Submission of proposals opens
- Sunday, 10 December 2023 – Submission of proposals closes
- Thursday, 18 January 2024 – Proposals feedback deadline
Proposal Evaluation Criteria
All proposals are evaluated and approved by NAMES Conference Program Committee (NCPC 2024) according to the following criteria:
- The focus and learning outcomes are well presented and thoughtfully articulated.
- The proposal offers new concepts and thoughts that have not been presented previously at NAMES’ conferences.
- The proposal is relevant to the topic that it is presented under.
- The proposal is relevant to the region and/or is global in nature and addresses actual needs.
- The proposal ideas and organization are well-conceived and developed.
Short Talk Proposal Guidelines
Short talks will be grouped together according to topic in plenary sessions moderated by the Day's MC.
We invite you to share your knowledge and expertise in science communication with the audience; this includes, but is not limited to:
- Teaching a new skill.
- Sharing lessons learned from a project or collaboration.
- Discussing science communication theory.
- Evaluating science communication activities.
- Presenting science communication research.
We also welcome you to share how you put research into practice. Please note that the purpose of the short talks is not to promote services, products, or business; there will be other opportunities for this purpose during the conference.
Short Talk Topics
*Click on each title to read the topic's description.
The sector of science communication has faced a number of recent challenges, including the rise of misinformation and disinformation, the decline of trust in science, and the increasing polarization of public opinion on scientific issues. This session will discuss how these recent challenges have impacted the sector of science communication. It will also discuss how science communicators can overcome these challenges and continue to effectively communicate science to the public.
Talks should be relevant to anyone interested in science communication, including scientists, journalists, educators, and policymakers. It is also relevant to anyone who wants to learn more about the challenges facing science communication today and how to support effective science communication.
Science museums have traditionally been places where visitors can learn about science and technology through interactive exhibits and educational programs. However, in recent years, there has been a shift in visitors' needs, expectations, and experiences in science museums. Visitors today are more likely to be looking for immersive and engaging experiences that go beyond traditional museum exhibits. They also want to be able to learn about science and technology in a way that is relevant to their own lives and experiences.
This session will discuss the changes that have taken place in visitors' needs, expectations, and experiences in science centers and museums. It will also discuss how science centers and museums are adapting to meet these changes.
Talks should be relevant to anyone interested in science centers and museums, including professionals, educators, and policymakers. It is also relevant to anyone who wants to learn more about the future of science centers and museums and how they can continue to play an important role in society.
Art and storytelling have the power to engage, inspire, and teach us in ways that traditional science communication methods often cannot. When used effectively, art and storytelling can help make science more accessible, relatable, and memorable. This talk will explore how artists and storytellers are using their work to communicate science to the public and to inspire people to learn more about the world around them.
Talks should share examples of innovative and successful uses of art and storytelling in science communication. They should be relevant to anyone interested in science communication, including scientists, artists, storytellers, educators, and policymakers.
Data and sustainability are two of the most important challenges facing science museums today. Data can be used to improve fundraising, marketing, and visitor services, but it can also be difficult to collect, manage, and analyze effectively. Sustainability is also a critical issue for science museums, as they need to find ways to reduce their environmental impact and operate more efficiently.
Talks should share examples of how science museums around the world are using data and sustainability to improve their operations. For example, some science centers and museums are using data to target their fundraising campaigns more effectively, while others are using data to improve their visitor experience. Some science centers and museums are also developing new sustainable exhibits and programs, while others are working to reduce their energy consumption and waste production.
Talks should be relevant to anyone interested in science centers and museums, including professionals, educators, and policymakers.
Trending topics such as global warming have a significant impact on science engagement and science communication institutions. On the one hand, these topics can generate interest in science and technology, and lead people to seek out information from trusted sources. On the other hand, they can also lead to the spread of misinformation and disinformation, and to increased polarization on scientific issues.
This session will discuss how trending topics such as global warming and its effect on science engagement and science communication institutions. It will explore the positive effects such as when the news is full of stories about climate change, people may be more likely to visit a science center or museum or read a book about climate science, and the negative effects such as inaccurate information about climate change on social media, or they may be exposed to misinformation from news sources that are not credible.
Talks should discuss these topics and discuss how science communicators and science institutions can respond to them. Talks should be relevant to anyone interested in science engagement and science communication institutions, including scientists, journalists, educators, and policymakers.
Big data and artificial intelligence (AI) are having a profound impact on all aspects of society, including science engagement. Big data can be used to learn more about people's interests and attitudes towards science, and to develop more effective science communication strategies. AI can be used to create personalized science learning experiences and to identify and correct misinformation and disinformation.
This session will discuss the impact of big data and AI on science engagement. It will explore the positive and negative effects of these technologies such as personalized learning experiences, identifying and correcting misinformation, as well as privacy and ethical concerns. Talks should be relevant to anyone interested in science engagement, including scientists, journalists, educators, and policymakers.
Diversity and inclusion are essential for science centers to fulfill their mission of engaging the public with science and technology. A diverse and inclusive science center is one that welcomes and reflects the diversity of the community it serves. It is also one that provides opportunities for everyone to learn and participate in science, regardless of their background or abilities.
This session will discuss what diversity and inclusion look like in MENA science centers with respect to recruitment, programming, and outreach:
- Recruitment:When recruiting staff, science centers should strive to create a diverse workforce that reflects the community they serve. This means considering factors such as gender, ethnicity, race, religion, disability, and socioeconomic status.
- Programming:Science center programming should be designed to appeal to a diverse audience. This means offering a variety of programs on different science topics and presenting them in a way that is accessible to everyone. Science centers should also work to make their programming affordable and accessible to people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Outreach:Science centers should reach out to all members of the community, regardless of their background or abilities. This means partnering with schools, community organizations, and other groups to bring science education and engagement opportunities to everyone. Science centers should also make their facilities and programs accessible to people with disabilities.
Talks should be relevant to anyone interested in science centers and museums, including professionals, educators, and policymakers.
Co-creation is a process of working with and for communities to create science engagement experiences that are relevant, meaningful, and accessible to everyone. It is a collaborative approach that values the knowledge and expertise of both scientists and community members.
This session will discuss the importance of co-creation in science engagement. It will explore the benefits of co-creation and discuss how to co-create and work with and for communities in science engagement. Talks should be relevant to anyone interested in science engagement, including scientists, educators, community leaders, and policymakers.
Workshop Proposal Guidelines
- Workshops should not exceed 60 minutes total;
- If more time is necessary, please include a detailed breakdown of the required time in your proposal submission.
- Please indicate the preferred audience size in your proposal submission.
- Workshop should be interactive, with some formal presentation.
- Please tell us in your proposal submission how you plan to make the workshop interactive in a virtual environment, if applicable.
- Please indicate the number and names of all trainers/facilitators in the workshop in your proposal submission.
MakerSpace Contribution Proposal Guidelines
MakerSpace contributions will be further developed within the MakerSpace Group of Contributors.
We invite interested contributors to showcase their maker and tinkering experiences either theoretically or practically through one of the following formats:
- Partaking in a panel session (10-min short talks)
- Leading a workshop (45- to 75-min long)
- Presenting a case study (flexible format)
Details for practical activity-based workshop sessions should include:
- Short description of workshop plan in steps (150-300 words)
- What the deliverables or expected or leaning outcomes are (150 words max)
- Number of attendees that can join the session
- General space settings, like tables, chairs, and electricity required for the session
- Tools and equipment that needs to be provided by the Host (other than what presenters bring in for the session)
- Number of presenters or facilitators leading the session.
Case Study Proposal Guidelines
Case studies will be grouped together in special sessions the details of which will be discussed with the contributors upon receiving their proposals.
We invite interested contributors to showcase case studies that fit the following criteria:
- Relevance: The case study should be relevant to the theme of the conference.
- Novelty: The case study should present a new or original research/project.
- Impact: The case study should have the potential to make a significant impact on the field of science engagement.
How to Propose Your Contribution?
Please use this form to submit your contribution proposal; alternatively, you can send the following information to namesnetwork@bibalex.org by the deadline:
- Contribution Format
Proposals of different formats need to elaborate the purpose of the format and explain it clearly; such proposals must list all session speakers/workshop leaders.
- Short Talk (10-min)
- Workshop (60-90 min; please specify the preferred duration)
- MakerSpace Contribution (45-75 min; please specify the preferred duration)
- Case Study (please specify preferred presentation)
- Other (please specify)
- Contribution Title (50 characters)
- Contribution Summary (150-300 words)
- Learning Outcomes (150 words max)
- Full name (first and last), contact information, and basic information about the qualifications for the person submitting the contribution idea and any co contributors (if applicable).
- Short biography of each contributor, as applicable. (150 words per presenter)
*A link to the biography page, website, or public-facing social media for each presenter is recommended.
- Additional information and/or special requirements (if applicable)