NSCF News May 2020

Dear all 

On behalf of the NSCF board, I am pleased to welcome you to this newsletter.  

It is a challenging period, where our science centres are closed, resulting in loss of a substantial part of our earnings. The pandemic and the measures to control it will profoundly influence our businesses for years to come. Both in regard to what we can offer our guests in the short term and how we can develop our centres in the long term.  

We hope you use the NSCF network to exchange experience and possible solutions. If not, we strongly encourage you to do so.  

We have had two virtual board meetings discussing the current situation and how it affects NSCF. Due to the economic difficulties most of the members are facing and the uncertainty about the development of the virus and the restrictions it may impose upon our countries, we have decided the following:

-        We will reduce the annual fee for 2020 to 100 €. We plan to send the invoices in June.

The fee for 2021 will be 300 € as decided at the last General Meeting.

-        We will cancel the annual conference in 2020.

Our next conference will take place at Visualization Centre In Norrköping, Sweden in 2021 and focus on development, co-operation and funding. The program will be based on the plans for this year’s conference. The conference in 2022 will take place in Denmark.

-        We will allocate more money to scholarships in 2021 to support the relationship between our members. The board will decide the amount.

-        We will publish extra newsletters in 2020, where we will focus on bringing as many articles from different members as possible – to keep in touch and share ideas.

-        We will survey the members on how we handle the current situation. The survey will lead to an article, which will be launched in the August newsletter – see a more comprehensive description below. The report will be followed by a two-hour webinar at the end of August or start of September, where we will present the article and provide an opportunity to exchange experiences. 

The survey and article – in depth

The board believes it is essential to describe this very unique and challenging situation and use it as a way of learning and sharing. We will conduct a survey, which will focus on the following:

-        Quantitative information like: When did our centres close, when where we allowed to open again, the expected loss of guests etc.

-        Experiences of how our organizations managed during lockdown, e.g. how management informed employees, organizational changes or business development

-        Experiences of new ways of communicating science during lock down, e.g. online communication.

The survey will be presented in an article in the August newsletter. 

We will send you the next newsletter in June, where we will tell more about the described article and the webinar in August. 

We are looking forward to hearing your stories.

Best wishes  

Hanne, Chairperson