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Enjoy a wide range of benefits
Join by Direct Debit or Repeat Card Payment to access ABSW services today
Full member
£50 per year
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Eligibility
Science writing provides a substantial part of your income.
Associate member
£45 per year
Join now
Eligibility
You work in a field that advances public awareness of science and technology, such as public relations, and have an interest in science writing. Or, you are a science writer but this work provides less than a substantial part of your income.
Student member
£25 per year
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Eligibility
You are in full or part-time education, studying for a qualification relevant to a career in science writing. Eligible for those up to two years post graduation.
If you don't have a UK bank account you will not be able to pay by direct debit, however, you should be able to use your debit/credit card button to pay by repeat card payment or you can contact us to set up a membership subscription and pay manually.
Membership is pre-approved at the point of joining and ratified retrospectively within three months by the ABSW Board.
Why join ABSW?
As a member of ABSW, you will get access to a whole host of benefits including discounted rates to conferences, professional development and networking events, access to resources and much, much more.
Struggling to pay for ABSW membership?
Often those who can least afford to pay, are those who might benefit most from the networking and other benefits that ABSW membership provides. If you are struggling to pay for ABSW membership then get in touch to request support.
Can you support a science writer?
Can you help support students and colleagues in financial difficulty who are struggling to pay for ABSW membership? If so, please consider making a one-off payment to cover either a full, associate or student member.
Grow your network
Through your membership you will be able to connect with over 700 professional science journalists and communications professionals within the ABSW network.
You will also be able to develop your network to science journalists around the world through the ABSW memberships of the World Federation of Science Journalists and European Federation for Science Journalism.
Be part of a community
The ABSW organises numerous social events for members each year, which are often free of charge, giving opportunities to meet up, network and share ideas with peers in an informal way.
We also have two ABSW forums, one using Discord as well as a Google Group, so it's easy to keep in touch with other members, ask questions, get advice, and share the highs and lows of science writing.
Raise your profile
Include your profile in our public directory for those seeking freelance writers, editors or broadcasters.
Promote your recently published books to other ABSW members and the ABSW's network.
Also, each month the ABSW selects one excellent piece of work written by a member to highlight to the world in our Monthly Showcase.
Access journals...
Use your ABSW membership to access an expanding directory of science journals and news resources, including:
Elsevier's Research Selection
Environmental Science and Technology
Eurekalert!
Europe PubMed Central
IOPscience
Nature Research press site
OpenAIRE
Optics Express
Public Library of Science
ScienceDirect
Taylor & Francis
Wiley Online Library
...and other professional resources
Other resources for members only include our:
Jobs Board, which is regularly updated with the latest opportunities in science writing
Recordings of past ABSW events and training courses
Statistics resources
Podcasting for beginners
Useful information such as suggested minimum rates for science journalists.
Join professional training and events
Benefit from our full calendar of free events throughout the year and enjoy discounted rates on our flagship events including the UK Conference of Science Journalists and Science Journalism Summer Schools.
As a member you can sign-up for special interest groups such as Feature Feast, our peer-learning group for feature writers and our mentoring scheme if you are new to the field.
Discounted press card
As a member of the ABSW you can apply for a UK press card through the British Association of Journalists. The reduced rate for ABSW members is £35.
Contact Matthew Wyatt at the British Association of Journalists for the ABSW members' application form.
An international press card is also available to ABSW members through our membership of the World Federation of Science Journalists.
Help safeguard & improve standards in science journalism
The ABSW represents science journalists on issues of interest to all members, such as its 2020 submission to the Communications and Digital Committee's inquiry The Future of Journalism. We have surveyed freelance pay and continue to conduct research into the state of science journalism.
Full ABSW members are eligible to stand for election to the ABSW Executive Board, vote in the elections for the ABSW Executive Board and vote at the Annual General Meeting. All members are allowed to attend Board meetings as observers.
Submit your work for an ABSW Award
The annual ABSW Awards recognise and celebrate excellence in science journalism. The awards are open to all science writers and journalists for a £55 submission fee per entry; this fee is waived for ABSW members.
Grants and opportunities
You heard it here first! The ABSW offers members opportunities to apply for grants and funding, such as with our recent Dragons' Den scheme. Also, if we hear of any opportunities that arise for members we add them to the website, newsletter and make members aware via our discussion groups.
ABSW Mentoring Scheme
In response to demand the ABSW relaunched its mentoring scheme in January 2023. We encourage members to consider both mentor and mentee roles; an early-career journalist might share expertise in data journalism or social media - and an experienced science communication practitioner, might help someone exploring a career shift from the newsroom. Applications for mentoring open twice yearly in April and October.
Free listing in our directory of ABSW members
As a member of the ABSW you can choose to be listed in either or both of our two online directories. One is private to members only, and the other directory is public facing under the heading of 'Find a science writer'. The databases are searchable by name, area of interest and expertise, and journalist type. You just set your preferences in your member profile.
Free advert for your recent or upcoming books
We list books written by ABSW members on our website, along with an image of the cover and details about the book, where to buy it, and who to contact. It's a simple process to let us know you've had a book published too - just fill in our simple online form!