The AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion program (DoSER) announced Monday that eight writers and broadcasters will receive the first Science for Religion Reporters Award. The awards are part of a one-year grant with the goal of providing religion journalists opportunities for exposure to forefront science, enriching science communication with their audiences.

The winners will receive their $2,000 award in a ceremony at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. There, they will have access to hundreds of scientists and their forefront research. Awardees were competitively selected by an external review panel of expert writers and journalists.

“We are pleased to find such a strong interest in science by top-notch religion journalists,” said DoSER Director Jennifer Wiseman.  “These writers have the potential to reach a broader swath of the public with the interesting developments and implications of scientific advancement.”

The Science for Religion Reporters Award honors up to 12 writers and broadcasters who reach public audiences attentive to religion and culture and who have a demonstrated interest for science-related reporting.  The program is funded by grant from the John Templeton Foundation, with support from AAAS.

The winners for 2015 are:

  • Cathy Lynn Grossman, Religion News Service
  • Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News
  • Kimberly Winston, Religion News Service
  • Renee Gadoua, Freelance
  • Elizabeth Kineke, CBS
  • Emma Green, The Atlantic
  • Patricia Miller, Religion Dispatches
  • Catherine Woodiwiss, Sojourners