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Press Release 07-054
NSF Wins Blue Pencil, Gold Screen Awards for Science Communications
Agency is the toast of page and screen at awards ceremony for government communicators
May 9, 2007
The National Science Foundation (NSF) earned multiple honors in the 2007 Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Awards competition held by the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) to recognize the government's best in print, video and multimedia communications. NSF took home six awards, including two first-place honors.
NAGC is a national organization for communications professionals at the national, state and local levels of government. Group members include editors, writers, graphic artists, video professionals, broadcasters, photographers, information specialists and agency spokespersons.
Blue Pencil Awards honor outstanding writing and print materials while Gold Screen Awards are given to recognize excellence in Web, audio, video and other multimedia.
"The Secret Lives of Wild Animals," a special report created for the NSF Web site, won first place in the Gold Screen category for electronic publications. The Web site uses video and interactive features to tell the stories of researchers employing new technologies to gain unprecedented access to study the behavior of animals in the wild. A second NSF special report, this one providing a virtual tour of the new high-tech U.S. South Pole Station in Antarctica, received an award of excellence in the same category.
NSF picked up another Gold Screen Award in the category of best use of animation, for "A Galactic Cataclysm." The animated clip--depicting star formation and based on research by astronomers using the Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope and Remote Observatory--took second place.
"The Discovery Files," a series of one-minute radio spots and podcasts covering research supported by NSF, garnered an award of excellence in the audio PSA/program category.
NSF's illustrated news story on the outbreak of an infectious disease and its devastating impact on frog populations in central Panama won first place in the Blue Pencil category for news releases.
And, NSF's "FY 2005 Performance Highlights" report was selected for a Blue Pencil award of excellence in the annual reports category.
"We're extremely gratified with this recognition from our peers and with the growing public response to our communications activities," NSF Legislative and Public Affairs Director Jeff Nesbit said. "As an agency and as communicators, we're working hard to share with the public the exciting and important efforts taking place on the frontiers of discovery. These awards are evidence that we're on the right track."
The award winners were honored at a ceremony on April 26 in Oak Brook, Ill. More information about the NAGC awards, including a complete list of winners, is available at http://www.nagc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=197&Itemid=185.
-NSF-
Media Contacts
Ellen Y. Weir, NSF (703) 292-7760 eweir@nsf.gov
Related Websites
The Secret Lives of Wild Animals: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/animals/index.jsp
U.S. South Pole Station: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/livingsouthpole/index.jsp
"The Discovery Files": http://www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_search_work.cfm?txt_search=discovery%20files
"A Galactic Cataclysm": http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/livingsouthpole/station_new.jsp#galactic
Outbreak: Rapid Appearance of Fungus Devastates Frogs: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=105788
FY 2005 Performance Highlights: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf0602/nsf0602.jsp
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, its budget is $9.5 billion, which includes $3.0 billion provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 44,400 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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Useful NSF Web Sites:
NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov
NSF News: http://www.nsf.gov/news/
For the News Media: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsroom.jsp
Science and Engineering Statistics: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards Searches: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/
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