Communicating Brazilian science still seems to be a challenge for journalists and researchers of public institutions of education and science. In this sense, this research aims to identify and analyze scientists’ perceptions regarding the work of journalists, the relationship between these groups, the expectations, and the challenges of science communication in two Federal Institutes of Education in Brazil. We conducted a mixed study in the qualitative stage with the participation of 30 interviewees, and in the quantitative stage, journalists and researchers answered a questionnaire (n = 242). Our results indicated that the work of science communication is not carried out properly in both Institutes and that there is a lack of articulated work among both journalists, communicators, and researchers. The relationship between these groups needs to be built jointly. In this respect, the biggest challenges are to institutionalize science communication, establish a science communication plan, and overcome internal relationship barriers. Our results may underpin science communication policies and policies for scientific dissemination both institutional or even national levels.

Introduction: fake news is one of the most frequently discussed subjects in the media, a problem that has become more evident with the rise of social and digital networks assuming the role of main information disseminators. From this perspective, it is important to be connected to a simple, fast communication vehicle that reaches many people. Media may also damage quality of scientific health communication with a negative impact on citizens’ lives. Objective: in this context, this article aims to reflect on fake news and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has devastated the world since the beginning of 2020, particularly in Brazil. Methods: countless actions have been taken to contain what the World Health Organization (WHO) calls an “infodemic” that is present in everyday life, invading houses, mobile phones, and computers, in a time of social isolation and working from home. In this scenario, it is up to journalists, communicators, scientists, and health professionals jointly to share important information and to communicate about health and science in a responsible way. Conclusion: in a crisis it becomes essential that information reaches a large number of people and community leaders in order to influence people positively, which might help to save lives.

Financial support and science promotion policies require preliminary studies of diagnoses, researcher profiles and historicity. Based on that new propositions to stimulate the areas of knowledge, the participation of researchers by gender or even the allocation of resources by region may be implemented. In this context, this study aims to describe the profile of the Scientific Initiation scholarship holders, through financial incentives from the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq), in the Brazilian Federal Institutes (IFs), considering the type of scholarship, age and gender. A quantitative approach was used, and 2017 data were collected on the CNPq portal. The results show that, out of the total scholarships (n = 31,382), 8.75% of them were offered by FIs, with the majority of scholarships offered by the high school program (64.60%), followed by the technological development program (18.14%) and the scientific initiation program (17.26%). Most students are female (51.1%). Given the above, we emphasize the importance of studies on student profile, so that measures are taken to provide wider access to scholarships for students involved in Brazilian scientific production, as well as map the areas of greatest investment and development technological.

The aim of this study is to analyze how students understand scientific dissemination. Educational practice has shown that texts from traditional communication vehicles are attractive to students, and furthermore, students understood topics covered in the resources, assessing the language as simple and easy to understand. The applied methodology and the means of carrying out the activities contributed to a more dynamic learning environment in which possibilities permeated the connections between the proposed content and the students’ daily lives, thus facilitating the understanding of scientific subjects by the students. One of the biggest difficulties was the writing component of the activities.