Places are filling up fast - we now have over 450 delegates from 64 countries. Book now to save disappointment!

The programme for WCSJ2009 continues to grow in response to developments in the worlds of science and journalism. The latest additions being a session on swine flu and the media, a ‘Meet the Editors’ session for those wanting the inside story on getting freelance commissions, plus a session for those with a desire to write a book - hear the low-down from publishers and agents. Want to learn how to podcast? Practical sessions will run on Wed and Thu to bring you up to speed. Breakfast and Lunch briefings and press conferences still to be announced. Keep updated at http://www.wcsj2009.org/ where you can find our blog and our Tweets. Why not sign up for the RSS feed? Or follow the Conference on twitter at http://twitter.com/srPR?

Delegates can now enjoy a trip to Europe’s most widely written and talked about research facilities: CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) in Geneva and the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) and the ILL (Institut Laue-Langevin) in Grenoble. Journalists will leave for Geneva from London in the evening of 4th July for an extensive tour of the world-famous particle physics research institute, CERN, the following day. They will transfer to Grenoble that evening to visit ESRF and ILL on 6th July. Meanwhile closer to London the post-conference trip to Oxfordshire will feature an informal (and free!) reception at Magdalen College, Oxford. The evening event will be hosted by Marcus du Sautoy, Professor of Mathematics and Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, the star of recent TV programmes such as BBC Two's 'Horizon: Alan and Marcus Go Forth' and BBC Four's 'The Story of Maths'. Visitors will get the chance to enjoy drinks in an attractive riverside location and chat with a range of high-profile Oxford scientists including Professor Sir Richard Peto, Professor Lionel Tarassenko, Professor Fred Taylor and Dr Ian Goldin.

Please visit http://www.wcsj2009.org/post-conference_trips.php for full details on all available trips. Trips need to be booked in advance so please ensure that you book when you register for the Conference, for those who have already booked you can check your preference and make changes if needs be by contacting: sophie.Flanagan@wcsj2009.org

Don’t miss out – most of these trips will only run if there is sufficient interest and are booked on a first come first served basis.

Choose your workshop! See here http://www.wcsj2009.org/programme_timetable.php for further details on topics and speakers for skills-building workshops and science briefings taking place on Monday 29th June and the morning of Tuesday 30th June. These are aimed primarily at journalists and places are limited, so hurry up and register for the conference to make your selection.

Speakers include Saleemul Huq from the International Institute for Environment and Development, Mike Stratton, Head of Cancer Genome Project (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute), David Mabey, Professor of Communicable Diseases and Rosanna Peeling, Professor of Diagnostics Research, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, J. Rick Turner, Visiting Fellow, Institute for Medicine in the Public Interest, Eva von Schaper, Bloomberg reporter, Steve Mirsky, Scientific American, Juliana Rotich, Global Voices, Anton Zeilinger, Nobel laureate in physics (University of Vienna), Ray Laflamme (University of Waterloo); Kip Thorne (Caltech), Sir Martin Rees (Astronomer Royal), and Neil Turok (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics), Nadia El Awady (International Centre for Journalists, Cairo), John Bohannon and John Travis (Science magazine and Science-International), Christina Scott and TV Padma (Science and Development Network, SciDev.Net), Gareth Mitchell (Imperial College London and BBC Digital Planet), Simon Singh (author and broadcaster) and Alok Jha (The Guardian).

We look forward to delicious and stimulating breakfast and lunchtime briefings, including on “Meet the Editors” chaired by Wilson da Silva (Cosmos magazine), “Setting up Science Journalists Associations” (World Federation of Science Journalists and partner organisations), “An AIDS Vaccine: Mission Impossible?” supported by IAVI, and featuring Professor Robin Weiss, University College London and Dr. Wayne Koff (IAVI), briefings from the Department for International Development, Research Councils UK, Qatar Foundation, Economic and Social Research Council, TDR and Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, and others, as well as special invitations to the Royal Society Summer Science Show, and a chance to meet the Science and Development Network team, and the 2009 winner of the Dr Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. Further details will be available soon at http://www.wcsj2009.org/programme.php

Enormous appreciation goes to our new Silver Sponsor, Qatar Foundation, and to lunch briefing sponsors IAVI (International AIDS Vaccine Initiative), TDR the WHO- based Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, and Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation. We also welcome on-board the European Joint Research Centre, supporting travel bursaries for journalists from around the European Union and a pre-conference workshop on Green Energy Technologies, and Kavli Foundation and CERN/ESRF/ILL as “Friends of the Conference”, for journalists’ travel scholarships, and a two-day post-conference excursion to CERN in Geneva and ESRF and ILL in Grenoble.

"We’re delighted to support the World Conference of Science Journalists. The Kavli Foundation has long recognized the invaluable role of science journalism not only for educating the public, but through skill and craft, giving science meaning and relevance – and in the process, deepening our appreciation of our universe and ourselves." Jim Cohen, Director of Communications, Kavli Foundation

"Given the nature of their task, science writers have to possess a remarkable dichotomy of skills. They have to have the yang to wrap their minds around what the science geeks are talking about, and the yin to translate it, in eloquent prose, back to the common man, or perhaps, to the researcher from a different field. When science journalism is done well, a tongue-twisted researcher is left to marvel and say, yes, that is what I’m trying to do. Like the scientists they cover, science journalists are first and foremost after one thing, the truth of the matter. For all of these things, we at the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative salute your profession. And we look forward to joining you in London for what promises to be a highly informative conference.” Lisa Beyer, Vice President of Communications, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative

"The enrichment of human capital that is necessary for Qatar's transformation depends to a large extent upon fostering a science and health research culture. This is an environment that encourages the pursuit of new knowledge, conducts scientific research and develops new technologies. Qatar Foundation's Research Division and its partners are working hand in hand to build Qatar's innovation and technology capacity, and are uncovering solutions to national challenges in health, climate change, clean energy and other fields. Qatar Foundation, and its partners Sidra Medical and Research Center, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, and the Qatar Science and Technology Park are delighted to support the World Conference of Science Journalists.” Terry O’Donovan, Communications Project Director, Qatar Foundation

We're looking forward to providing today's top science journalists with ideas and contacts for global health stories. No matter where the reporters are located, there's a compelling story -- from controlling Chagas disease in South America to reducing malaria deaths in Africa to looking at streamlined ways of managing dengue in Asia. TDR, the WHO-based Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases

"Helping journalists to engage and excite the public about science has never been so important. The Canada Foundation for Innovation welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with WSCJ2009 in presenting workshops that will explore how this goal is being pursued by Science Media Centres in four different countries." Canada Foundation for Innovation

The conference offers many impressive social occasions full details of which can be found at http://www.wcsj2009.org./programme_social_events.php

The activities begin with a pre-conference reception

Tuesday 30th June 14.30-15.45 @ Central Hall Westminster
Hosted by: Lord Drayson the UK's Science Minister
Enjoy a traditional English Tea whilst meeting journalists from around the world.

Tuesday 30th June 18.30-20.00 @ Central Hall Westminster
Kindly sponsored by: Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres and lightsources.org
Meet colleagues from around the world, discuss the themes of the opening day of the Conference and make plans for the week to come.

Wednesday 1st July 19.00-21.30 @ Natural History Museum
Kindly sponsored by: AEA Technology and Johnson & Johnson
The Natural History Museum is pleased to host the WCSJ gala evening, offering science journalists an opportunity to see the Museum after hours. Delegates will have the chance to unwind in the Museum’s iconic central hall, visit After Darwin; contemporary expressions, as well as get a sneak preview of our new Darwin Centre, ahead of it opening in September. Timed tours through the Darwin Centre atrium will run throughout the evening. We are very pleased to announce that the evening will also include the presentation of the ABSW Science Writer Awards 2009, kindly sponsored by Johnson & Johnson.

Thursday 2nd July 17.30-19.00 @ Central Hall Westminster
Kindly sponsored by: Research4Life
Celebrate on the last night of the Conference with a 'Wimbledon Tennis' theme, reflect on the issues raised over the week. A chance to say farewell to new colleagues and friends.

The Conference committee will be delighted to welcome you to London this summer for the WCSJ 2009. Should you want to extend your stay in the UK’s capital or manage to find time for some exploration outside of the packed conference schedule, check out the Visit London and the Visit Britain websites for details.

London – Discover the capital

This vibrant, multi-cultural capital is a world leading destination city, full of history, heritage and culture, yet one of the most fast-moving, cosmopolitan cities on the planet. Learn all about London from its unique landmarks like Big Ben and the London Eye to its rich cultural hotspots like the Tate Modern and the V&A museum. You’ll also find the transport system simple to navigate and events such as Wimbledon and the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition taking place during your visit.

Strawberries & Cream?

The world famous Wimbledon tennis tournament is taking place in London from 22nd June – 5th July, for details about purchasing a ticket please click here.

Take a magical jungle journey this summer

You will also be pleased to hear that at the Natural History Museum, our gala reception venue, the Butterfly Jungle provides the perfect piece of big-city escapism. Visit the butterfly house, home to a range of rainforest creatures, then do the outdoor jungle trail. Who knows where it will take you? For details of tickets please click here.

SciDev.Net: Our Media Partner

There’s plenty on the SciDev.Net website that resonates with the themes of the WCSJ2009 conference. We’re following the patchy rise and fall of science journalism across the developing and developed worlds. We’ve been reporting on researchers criticising science journalists for their coverage of climate change — and journalists’ robust responses. If that article moves you, you might want to check out our Practical Guide to climate change reporting. And in the next few days we have news coming out on the dark side of bilanthropy and the rise of churnalism. Visit SciDev.Net to stay in touch.

2009 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research Winner to be Announced at WCSJ!

Established by Johnson & Johnson, The Dr. Paul Janssen Award salutes the most passionate and creative scientists in basic or clinical research whose scientific achievements have made, or have strong potential to make, a measurable impact on human health and includes a $100,000 prize. Attendees of the 6th Annual World Conference of Science Journalists will be the first to hear who this year's recipient is. Be sure to visit the William Sangster Room from 1-2 p.m. on Thursday, July 2 to learn more about the Award and the outstanding science behind the recipient's work during remarks from the 2009 winner, a member of The Dr. Paul Janssen Award independent selection committee and Dr. Paul Stoffels, company group chairman, Global Research & Development, Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson. Previous winners have gone on to win the Nobel Prize, so don't miss your chance to meet with the latest recipient!
The Dr. Paul Janssen Award is named for Dr. Paul Janssen, who founded Janssen Pharmaceutica, N.V. Known to his colleagues as “Dr. Paul,” Janssen was one of the 20th century's most gifted and passionate researchers, a physician-scientist who helped save millions of lives through his contribution to the discovery and development of more than 80 medicines. Visit www.pauljanssenaward.com for more information.

Ecsite

As Ecsite- the European network of science centres and museums approaches its 20th year we invite you to mark the occasion with our most important annual gathering, this year in Milan, Italy. The Ecsite Annual Conference will be hosted by the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci.We welcome science communication professionals from across Europe and the world. Three full days of inspiring sessions, workshops and discussions will await our participants. Alongside this, we offer a rich social programme, two days of pre-Conference activities and a lively Business Bistro. Whether you work in science centres or museums, in aquariums or natural history museums, in research institutes or universities, this is a unique occasion for your calendar.
Bring your views, meet new faces, share your challenges at the Ecsite Annual Conference 2009. Website: http://www.ecsite-conference.net/
Contact person: Aliki Giannakopoulou, Ecsite Conference and Communications Coordinator

AthenaWeb: Our Marketing Partner

AthenaWeb: stay informed with the online channel for science films

AthenaWeb is the online channel for science films and a great source for potential stories and contacts (athenaweb.org) with hundreds of great films, in every scientific discipline from around the world. AthenaWeb can add interesting angles to stories or provide great background as well as keeping you informed about the latest developments in science, like groundbreaking new results. AthenaWeb also publishes a monthly newsletter, a complete calendar of upcoming events and hosts festival programme content for industry-leading events like the World Congress for Science Film Production. Finally, AthenaWeb itself is evidence of an important and still untold story: The massive growth of science film production and broadcasting. AthenaWeb exists to track and foster that trend (athenaweb.org).

We are delighted to be able to offer substantial discounts to members of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW) and Associations belonging to the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ).

Be a part of the 6th World Conference of Science Journalists, debate the critical issues, network with journalists, editors and science communicators from around the World, and ensure science journalists shape the future of science reporting.

Book Now for London 2009!

More information on all the thought provoking topics, sessions and speakers at WCSJ will be announced via these conference newsletter updates.

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We look forward to seeing you in London,
WCSJ2009 Conference Steering Group