Published: Aug. 25, 2021

Editor's note: In-person ScienceWriters2021 events at the CU Boulder and CU Anschutz campuses will be postponed to 2023. The NASW and CASW event steering committee made the decision to shift formats due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns. Find more information.

Previous announcement, Aug. 11––Registration opens Aug. 11 for the top annual gathering for science writers, journalists, film producers and communicators of all stripes from across the country.

ScienceWriters2021, which runs from Oct. 8-11 with some early-bird sessions, is co-sponsored this year by CU Boulder and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. It will shine a light on the best research that both campuses have to offer—giving attendees the chance to check out the latest advances in a range of scientific fields, from autonomous flying drones to 3D printers that create biological material for surgeries.

The Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW) and the National Association of Science Writers (NASW) organize the ScienceWriters conference, which takes place at a different host institution every year. 

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event, originally scheduled for 2020, will include both in-person and virtual activities. Vaccines are required to attend in-person events. It’s sure to offer “something for everyone.” 

“CU Boulder has a strong legacy of research leadership in fields as diverse as aerospace, the biosciences, physics and the environmental sciences,” said Terri Fiez, vice chancellor for Research and Innovation at CU Boulder. “We’re pleased to share the pioneering work of our researchers with the nation’s leading science communicators.”

The meeting will include talks, tours, workshops and, yes, meet-and-greets where attendees can nibble on cheese and (safely) share tips for bringing scientific research out of the lab. 

CU Boulder researchers will take center stage during events on the Boulder campus. Participants will hear about living bricks that can make greener buildings and about how honeybees may one day inspire new kinds of swarming robots. They will see facilities where satellites are made at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and visit CU Boulder’s mobile lab for studying cannabis at the Institute of Cognitive Science. They’ll also get the chance to hike with scientists to learn about the forces that shaped the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. 

COVID-19 safety is a key priority for the conference organizers. In addition to the vaccine requirement, event sites have been selected to allow for physical distancing and to keep conference activities separate from other campus activities. Safety protocols will evolve based on the latest research and guidelines from federal, state and local agencies.