Register for PhD Students - Vetenskap & Allmänhet (VA) - VT23
Vetenskap & Allmänhet - Sweden's expert organisation for science communication
About the organisation
Vetenskap & Allmänhet, VA, is a non-profit organisation with the aim of promoting openness and dialogue between researchers and the public. VA has about 100 member organisations, such as universities (including KI), governmental agencies, museums, companies and research funders.
VA organises meetings and activities, while developing and testing new ways for the general public and researchers to meet in dialogue. We also conduct surveys and studies to explore different aspects of the interface between researchers and society. For more information, see www.v-a.se.
VA is currently involved in a number of different projects. This means that there is a great deal of flexibility regarding the specific focus of the internship depending on the applicant's own interest and experience.
Projects
Examples of projects that we are currently involved in:
ForskarFredag (European Researchers' Night)
ForskarFredag is Sweden's most widely spread science festival, which is held in September each year. ForskarFredag is part of the European Researchers' Night science festival. VA coordinates events in around 30 locations throughout Sweden.
Forum for Science Communication
The annual Forum för forskningskommunikation is the largest Nordic conference for those working in science communication (around 500 participants in 2022). The aim of the conference is to provide participants with inspiration, new knowledge about tools and methods for science communication and the opportunity to network and exchange experiences with others. The programme usually consists of a combination of contributions in Swedish and English, enabling international participation.
Researchers’ Grand Prix is Sweden's largest competition in presentation techniques for researchers. The contestants present their research in the simplest, most inspiring and educational way possible – in just four minutes. Regional and digital competitions are organised in connection with ForskarFredag and the winners then qualify for a final in Stockholm in November.
The VA Barometer is our annual attitude survey of the Swedish public's views on science, research and researchers. Some questions in the VA barometer have been asked regularly since the survey started in 2002, while some new questions are being developed in order to be able to follow social developments and current issues. The results are compiled during October-November and presented in December every year.
VA is involved in a number of citizen science projects on both national and European level. In these projects, citizens and non-researchers become involved and contribute to the research process in different ways. This may include, for example, data collection and/or analysis or formulating research questions. Since 2009, we have coordinated annual mass experiments in collaboration with researchers. This year's experiment is called the Plastic Experiment and involves thousands of citizens and school children collecting and analysing plastic litter in order to help researchers map the extent of plastic waste in the environment. We are also involved in RE-MEND – an EU-project about mental illness during different life stages where VA is responsible for a citizen science initiative, and YouCount – an EU project about citizen social science as a way to investigate and foster different dimensions of social inclusion of young people.
Examples of tasks that may be relevant to the internship:
- Development of survey questions and data analysis (depending on the time of the internship)
- Compilation and exploratory analyses of previously collected data (quantitative and/or qualitative)
- Practical communication work, for example through web or social media
As an intern, you may also be involved in developing new projects and applications together with VA's researchers.
During the internship period, the intern will also participate in VA's office meetings, visit external events related to the internship, participate in VA's ongoing activities and gain insight into other projects we are involved in.
Experiences from our intern in 2019 can be found here
Workplace: VA's office at Grev Turegatan 14 in central Stockholm, with opportunity to work remotely
Desired start date: Flexible
Qualifications: Good knowledge of Swedish, in speech and writing, is advantageous.
For more information: Contact researcher and assistant Secretary-General Gustav Bohlin, gustav@v-a.se
Last date of application has expired.