This year, NASW helped 51 writers from 17 countries offset the costs associated with registering for and attending our virtual ScienceWriters2021 conference. The #SciWri21 Support Grants were made possible in part through $3,100 in generous contributions from our members and ScienceWriters2021 attendees to the NASW Community Travel Fund and NASW’s annual budget. More than $12,000 was awarded.
Typically offered as travel support, NASW awards a number of grants each year to assist colleagues in need attend our annual ScienceWriters conference and other professional development opportunities. As the landscape of conferences has changed, the grants have evolved to meet shifting needs.
“We have embraced the ability of virtual events to bring together an even larger community of science writers from more states and more countries. But virtual events are not without costs to attendees,” said Tinsley Davis, executive director of NASW.
The grants, offered up to $500, can help attendees cover registration fees, increase bandwidth, purchase a headset or other equipment, and assist with caregiving costs. NASW membership was not required for application, and more than 30 recipients who were eligible for student or regular membership received a one-year complimentary membership as part of their award. 2021 recipients were selected from more than 70 applicants around the world.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients:
- Ananya A, Freelance, Mangalore, Karnataka, India, @punarpuli
- Olagunju Abdulrahman, The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, @olagunjurahman
- Alex Baluku, Rwenzori Daily, Kampala, Uganda, @BalukuAlex51
- Khalid Bencherif, Freelance Journalist, Morocco
- Kimani Chege, Freelance, Nairobi, Kenya, @Kymcee
- Robin Donovan, Freelance, Portland, Ore., @RobinKD
- Chiara Eisner, The State Newspaper, Columbia, SC
- Vincent Gabrielle, Knoxville News Sentinel/USA Today, Knoxville, Tenn., @vincentdgabriel
- Edna George, freelance, BENGALURU, Karnataka, India
- Margaret Gregory, student, Johns Hopkins University, @MaggieMagsMarge
- Shweata N. Hegde, Regional Institute of Education, Mysuru, Mysuru, Karnataka, India, @shweataHegde
- Elliot Jaffe, Nashville, Tennessee
- Shihab Jamal, Basement Culture Foundation, Sana'a, Yemen, https://www.facebook.com/shihab.alahdal
- Sadiqa Khan, CEO and Chief Editor Scientia Pakistan Magazine Science Writer and Correspondent Deutsche Welle Urdu service Bonn, Germany, Quetta, Baluchistan, Pakistan, @saadeqakhan
- Ruth Keah, award-winning journalist, Mombasa, Kenya, @Ruthkeah
- Dan Keller, Keller Broadcasting, Glenside, Pennsylvania, @DKMedJournalist
- Akanimo Kufre, The Southern Examiner, Uyo, Nigeria
- Emma Ledbetter, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
- Joan Letting, Daystar University, Graduate Student, Nairobi, Kenya, https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-letting-21bbb937/
- Claudia Lopez-Lloreda, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Brian Malika, Founder, Design Thinking Director, and Lead Science Storyteller at One More Percent, Kakamega, Kenya, @BRIANMALIKA
- Wallace Mawire, Freelance Science Journalist, Harare, Zimbabwe, @wallacemawire
- Razan Mneimneh, Freelance, Beirut, Lebanon
- Rakiya Muhammad, Independent Journalist, Sokoto, Nigeria, @rakiyaam2
- Thomas Mwiraria Murithi, Graduate School of Media and Communications-The Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya, @Tommwiraria
- Ray Mwareya, The Africa Report, @RMwareya
- Mary Mwendwa, Editor, Talkafrica, Nairobi, Kenya, @marymwendwa
- Sonia Neves, SPEA (BirdLife Portugal), Cotovios, Lisboa, Portugal, @Aur_ora
- Marielba Núñez, freelance journalist, Caracas, Venezuela, @marielbanunez
- Elisa Nuñez Acosta, University of California San Diego, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
- Daniel Nzohabonimana, Freelance and online editor for www.talkafrica.co.ke, Kigali, Rwanda
- Angeline Ochieng, Journalist at the Nation Media Group, Kisumu, Kenya, https://www.facebook.com/md.ochieng
- Dann Okoth, Freelance, Nairobi, Kenya, @dannoOkoth
- John Eden Omondi, Freelance, Kisumu, Nyanza region, Kenya
- Janet Otieno, African Ringer, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, @JanetOtieno
- Fikayo Oyewale, ACEGID (African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases), Ede, Osun State, Nigeria, @fikayooyewale
- Henry Owino, Freelance Science Journalist, Nairobi, Kenya, @OwinoHenry
- Ravindra Palavalli-Nettimi, Florida International University, Miami, FL, @ravindra_pn
- Rishika Pardikar, Freelance, India
- Vrinda Ravi Kumar, Freelance Bangalore, India
- Jacqueline Rocheleau, Freelance, Albany, NY
- Karen Sofia Rodríguez, Freelance journalist Climate Tracker, Maracay, Venezuela, https://www.instagram.com/karenkaridad/
- Richard Sima, Freelance, Baltimore, Maryland
- Fionna Samuels, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, @Fairy__Hedgehog
- Helen Santoro, Freelance, Gunnison, CO, @helenwsantoro
- Manal Shakeel, NCBS, Bangalore, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, @eagermeagre
- Nusrat Sidiq, Freelance, Srinagar, India
- Asa Stahl, Rice University, Houston, Texas
- Tere Valenzuela-Castro,freelance science writer, El Paso, Texas
- Qining Wang, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, @qnwang_
- Ling Xin, Freelance, Beijing, China
Thank you to everyone who contributed by choosing to support the Community Support Fund during registration! You can make a contribution at any time. Learn more.
