Driving research forward!

Eesti Teadusagentuur works to ensure that science and the research community continue to inspire new generations.

The community of science communicators in Estonia is broad and diverse. It includes researchers and teachers, instructors from hobby schools and school clubs, representatives of NGOs, associations and other initiatives, as well as many individual enthusiasts who are committed to bringing science and technology — and the work of scientists and engineers — closer to children, young people and society at large. The Research Council organises a range of activities to promote the sharing of best practices and the latest knowledge within Estonia’s science communication network.

Once a year, funding is available through a science popularisation project call to support initiatives that bring science and technology closer to young people and the wider public.

To recognise excellence, the Estonian Science Popularisation Awards are presented annually in six categories. The highest distinction of the competition is the Tiiu Silla Lifetime Achievement Award for long-term, systematic contributions to the popularisation of science and technology.

Each year, we organise a summer school for science communicators and, in the autumn, a science communication conference. These events have become informal meeting places for science communicators to learn from one another and to discuss current topics and challenges in the field.

To foster young people’s interest in science, we support the development, diversification and improved accessibility of science-focused extracurricular education. To strengthen collaboration, we develop and manage the career portal miks.ee, which introduces careers in science and engineering, and publish the miks.ee newsletter featuring articles about events, activities and inspiring individuals in the scientific community. The portal also increases the visibility of science communicators by offering contributors the opportunity to share their news or propose article ideas. In addition, science communicators can submit their events to the miks.ee events calendar.

The international promotion of Estonian science communication is carried out through the activities of Research in Estonia.