Welcome to ComSciCon 2026!
We are excited to announce the 14th annual ComSciCon Flagship Workshop Special International Edition, taking place at University of Bordeaux, France from July 7th to 10th, 2026.
For more information, please contact france@comscicon.org
About
ComSciCon provides graduate student attendees with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to meet early career leaders in Science Communication, learn from and interact with a remarkable group of invited experts, and produce original work communicating complex technical concepts from science and engineering to a new audience.
At ComSciCon’s Flagship Workshop, participants build communication skills that scientists and other technical professionals need to express ideas to their peers, experts in other fields, and the general public.
Ample time is allocated for networking with science communication experts and developing science outreach collaborations with fellow workshop participants. Workshop participants will produce an original piece of science writing or video/audio clip or visual sci-art and receive feedback from workshop attendees and professional science communicators, including journalists, authors, public policy advocates, educators, and more.
Founded in 2012 by graduate students at Harvard University, MIT, and the University of Colorado at Boulder, nearly 3000 graduate students nationwide have already participated in ComSciCon programs, including our annual Flagship Workshops and Franchise Workshops which have been started by ComSciCon alumni across the US, Canada and France. Attendees have founded new science communication organizations in collaboration with other students at the event, published over 100 articles written at the conference in popular publications with national impact, and formed lasting networks with our student alumni and invited experts.
We are extremely grateful to our sponsors who are making ComSciCon 2026 possible!
American Astronomical Society
MIT Office of Graduate Education
Burroughs Wellcome Foundation
Kavli Foundation (SEEDS)
Rita Allen Foundation (SEEDS)
American Chemical Society
Université Bordeaux Montaigne
Science avec et pour la société
University of Bordeaux
Application
This year’s workshop will be hosted at University of Bordeaux, France from Tuesday July 7th to Friday July 10th 2026. We will provide full coverage for housing and partial coverage for travel.
Application form is live! The application deadline is on January 30th, 2026 at 11:59 PM (ET).
A description of how we review applications can be found here: What happens to your application and Tips to help you prepare as best as possible.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact france@comscicon.org
Thank you for your interest in ComSciCon26!
Eligibility
Attendance at ComSciCon-Flagship International Edition is limited to doctoral students currently enrolled and doctoral graduates who defended their thesis less than one year before the date of workshop from Europe, US, and Canada are eligible. International students who study at Europe, US, and Canadian institutions are gladly welcomed. ComSciCon applications are competitive and we encourage applicants to prepare their responses with care.
Application, registration, and attendance at the workshop is free of charge for accepted applicants. ComSciCon attendees are required to complete pre-workshop requirements, and to attend the entire workshop.
ComSciCon is committed to equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from people from historically underrepresented groups, including but not limited to the following groups: the Black community, Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples, minoritized racial and ethnic groups, persons with disabilities, and the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Accommodations can be provided upon request for people with disabilities. We will provide opportunities to request specific accommodations after the selection process for attendees is complete. Please see our Code of Conduct at the end of the page.
Pre-workshop Requirements
Create-a-Thon
What is the Create-A-Thon?
The Create-A-Thon is your chance to hone your science communication skills by writing an article, producing a video, recording an audio piece, or producing visual art about any science topic of your choice (be it your research or something else) and receive valuable feedback through a workshop with your peers and expert reviewer.
Our recommended requirements for the Create-A-Thon vary with the genre of project you’re creating (writing, audio, video, or visual arts). They’re listed below:
- Writing: we recommend a 600-1,200 word original piece of science writing (such as a news article, op-ed, personal essay, poetry, etc.) along with an accompanying freelance pitch. New for this year, we will have a separate “track” and dedicated reviewers for op-eds/opinion pieces.
- Audio: we recommend 5 minutes of audio content (podcast, interview, news spot, etc.) along with an accompanying written freelance pitch.
- Video: we recommend 5 minutes of video content (for YouTube, TikTok, etc.) along with an accompanying written freelance pitch.
- Visual art: the form this can take (e.g. photography, comics, illustration, data visualization) is totally at your discretion, however we’d still like you to produce an accompanying written freelance pitch.
A “pitch” is a story outline that you send to an editor of a publication (or, as applicable, a producer at a radio station or YouTube channel, an editor at arts magazine, etc.) to persuade them to publish your piece.
Deadlines
We will be providing dates to complete the following steps, the deadline is the date indicated at 11:59pm in your timezone:
- Step 1: Fill out this Google Form indicating the genre of your piece so we can form peer review groups. After this, we’ll send you a link to a Google Drive folder where you’ll upload your piece and review/edit pieces by 2-3 of your peers.
- Step 2: Drop a rough draft of your pitch and piece into the Google Drive folder with your name on it.
- Step 3: Read, provide feedback for your peers’ pitches and pieces (edits and comments), and reupload each of your peers’ drafts into their named folders. Please use tracked changes and comments features where possible, and name your uploads as specified below.
- Step 3: Upload your revised draft to the folder named “Revised drafts”. Please retain a copy of your original draft.
Please email csc26createathon@gmail.com for any questions or inquiries!
Program
Details soon!
Venue and Acccommodation
Details soon!
Organizing Committee
Details soon!
Code of Conduct
ComSciCon is committed to providing a safe, hospitable, and productive environment for everyone present, regardless of race or ethnicity, religion, ability, socioeconomic status, age, physical appearance, economic or professional status, country of origin, sex, gender or gender expression, or sexuality. A conference where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not productive, nor tolerable. Accordingly, ComSciCon prohibits intimidating, threatening, or harassing conduct during our conference and is committed to creating and maintaining a safe environment for everyone during the workshop. This policy applies to speakers, organizers, expert reviewers, and attendees, and by participating in ComSciCon, you agree to adhere to this policy.
ComSciCon expects that participants will:
- Be considerate and respectful to all community members.
- Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior, materials, and speech (more below).
- Speak up if they observe anything at an event that conflicts with this Code of Conduct. If you are being harassed or feel uncomfortable, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the ComSciCon organizing team immediately.
Unacceptable behavior from any community member will not be tolerated. Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to:
- Intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory, or demeaning speech, materials, or conduct by any Participants of the event and related event activities. Many event venues are shared with members of the public; please be respectful to all patrons of these locations.
- Violence, threats of violence, or violent language directed against another person.
- Failure to obey any rules or regulations of the event venue.
Harassment of participants will not be tolerated in any form. Harassment includes:
- Offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, national origin, affinity group, etc.
- Viewing or sharing sexual images in public spaces.
- Deliberate or perceived intimidation, stalking, or following.
- Harassing or non consensual photography or recording.
- Sustained disruption of talks or other events.
- Inappropriate physical contact.
- Unwelcome sexual attention.
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, ComSciCon organizers will take any action they deem appropriate, ranging from a verbal warning to expulsion from the conference, to contacting local authorities.
ComSciCon organizers may take action to address any behavior disrupting the conference or making the environment hostile for any participants. We expect participants to follow these rules at all conference events and ComSciCon-related social activities.
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the conference staff immediately (by email at the designated confidential address comscicon25-coc@comscicon.org). Organizers will be available to assist anyone experiencing unacceptable behavior and will work to help you feel safe for the duration of the event. All reports will be held as confidential by ComSciCon event organizers.
We value your attendance, and want to make the conference experience as educational, productive, and fun as possible.
Invited Speakers
Details soon!
ComSciCon 