QUEST · Project

Training Toolkits That Help Organizations Communicate Science Clearly and Fight Misinformation

digitalTestedTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

Ever notice how scientific breakthroughs get lost in translation — or worse, twisted into misinformation on social media? QUEST tackled that head-on by studying how science gets communicated through journalism, social media, and museums, then building practical training toolkits for everyone in that chain. Think of it as a quality-control system for science news — giving journalists, scientists, and museum staff the tools to explain complex topics like climate change, vaccines, and AI without dumbing them down or getting them wrong. The project tested these approaches across 6 European countries using real case studies.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries represented

case study topics (climate, vaccines, AI)

total project deliverables

target audience types for toolkits

The business problem

What needed solving

Organizations across Europe struggle to communicate complex science clearly — leading to public mistrust, misinformation on social media, and missed opportunities for research to reach the people who need it. Journalists lack training to interpret scientific studies accurately, museum staff need better tools to engage visitors with polarizing topics, and scientists themselves rarely learn how to explain their work outside academic circles.

The solution

What was built

The project produced 3 key deliverables: a curriculum on science journalism, a handbook for science communication in museums, and educational toolkits designed for 5 audience types (scientists, journalists, social media content managers, museum explainers, and communicators). These were developed across 9 total deliverables using climate change, vaccines, and AI as real-world test cases.

Audience

Who needs this

PR and communications agencies serving pharma, biotech, or deep-tech clientsScience museums and interactive exhibition centersCorporate training providers expanding into media literacyUniversity press offices and research communication departmentsGovernment agencies running public science awareness campaigns

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Public Relations and Science Communication Agencies

SME

Target: PR firms and communication consultancies serving science, pharma, or deep-tech clients

If you are a communications agency struggling to translate complex R&D results into clear public messaging — this project developed educational toolkits for science communicators covering journalism, social media, and museum contexts. The toolkits were tested across 6 countries on topics like vaccines, climate change, and AI, giving your team ready-made training materials to improve how they package scientific content for diverse audiences.

Museums and Science Centers

any

Target: Science museums, natural history museums, and interactive exhibition centers

If you are a museum or science center looking to improve how your explainers engage visitors with complex scientific topics — this project produced a dedicated handbook for science communication in museums. Developed with input from 8 consortium partners across 6 countries, it addresses how to present polarizing topics like vaccines and AI in ways that inform rather than confuse. The toolkit targets museum explainers directly with practical training approaches.

Corporate Training and EdTech

SME

Target: Training providers and e-learning platforms focused on media literacy or professional development

If you are a training company looking to expand into science communication or media literacy modules — this project created a full curriculum on science journalism plus educational toolkits designed for scientists, journalists, social media managers, and communicators. With 9 deliverables covering 3 high-profile case studies (climate, vaccines, AI), these materials can be adapted into commercial online courses or corporate workshops for R&D teams that need to communicate externally.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or use these toolkits?

The project was publicly funded under Horizon 2020 as a Research and Innovation Action, meaning most deliverables are likely available under open access terms. Specific licensing costs are not stated in the project data. Contact the coordinator at Venice International University to confirm terms for commercial reuse.

Can these toolkits scale to large organizations or national programs?

The toolkits were designed for multiple audience types — scientists, journalists, social media managers, museum explainers, and communicators — and tested across 6 countries. This breadth suggests adaptability, but the project consortium had no industrial partners, so scaling into commercial training platforms would require further development and packaging.

Who owns the intellectual property on these training materials?

IP is held by the consortium of 8 partners led by Venice International University under standard Horizon 2020 rules. Since the industry ratio is 0% and all partners are universities or research organizations, IP negotiations for commercial use would go through academic tech transfer offices.

Are the toolkits available in multiple languages?

The consortium spans 6 countries (Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway, UK), suggesting materials were developed with a multilingual European audience in mind. Based on available project data, specific language versions are not confirmed in the deliverable descriptions.

How were the toolkits validated?

The project used climate change, vaccines, and artificial intelligence as case studies to test its approaches. With 5 universities and 2 research organizations in the consortium, validation was primarily academic rather than commercial. The 9 deliverables include both the toolkits themselves and the research underpinning their design.

Does this address misinformation on social media specifically?

Yes. Social media is one of the 3 core focus areas alongside journalism and museums. The project explicitly addresses misinformation and how digitalization has changed how science information flows and opinions are shaped. The educational toolkits include materials specifically designed for social media content managers.

Consortium

Who built it

The QUEST consortium is entirely academic — 5 universities and 2 research organizations across 6 countries, with zero industrial partners and zero SMEs. This is a significant flag for anyone looking at commercial viability: the toolkits were built by researchers for researchers, journalists, and museum professionals, but without any commercial training provider, media company, or EdTech firm at the table. The coordinator is Venice International University in Italy. For a business buyer, this means the outputs are credible from a scientific standpoint but would likely need repackaging and productization before they are market-ready.

VENICE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITYCoordinator · IT
THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLINparticipant · IE
AGENZIA PER LA PROMOZIONE DELLA RICERCA EUROPEAparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITA CA' FOSCARI VENEZIAparticipant · IT
CITY ST GEORGES UNIVERSITY OF LONDONparticipant · UK
WAN-IFRA FRparticipant · FR
NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNUparticipant · NO
TALLINN UNIVERSITYparticipant · EE

How to reach the team

Venice International University (Italy) — reach through university tech transfer office or project website contact page

Order a report on this consortium See VENICE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can help you evaluate whether QUEST's science communication toolkits fit your training or content strategy, and facilitate introductions to the research team.

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