Scholars spend decades mastering the art of discovery, but few receive guidance on how to explain their findings to the general public. To close this gap, Wake Forest University has been selected as home for Scholars and Ideas in the Public Sphere, a premier program designed to help academic researchers learn to share their work with broad public audiences.

Supported by a $2.7 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation, the University will host 10 two-day workshops over the next five years—gathering small groups of leading natural scientists, social scientists and philosophers from across the globe to master public scholarship.

The workshops will be held at The Graylyn Estate & Conference Center. A.C. Reid Professor of Philosophy Christian B. Miller will direct the project.

“Scholars are trained to discover knowledge, but rarely do they receive guidance on how to share what they learn.”

Wake Forest University Philosophy professor Christian Miller

“Writing that bridges academic findings with day-to-day applications requires practice. With public-facing writing skills, scientists and philosophers can learn to explain how their knowledge informs international, national and local conversations,” Miller said.

In addition to workshops, the project supports an alumni network of hundreds of scholars publishing in mainstream media, as well as awarding 15 fellowships for yearlong projects and 15 prizes for exemplary writing.

Scholars and Ideas in the Public Sphere expands Wake Forest’s commitment to civic engagement and academic leadership by fostering ideas that inform and elevate public conversation.

“Bridging the gap between deep research and mainstream readers requires specialized training and sustained mentorship,” said David Nassar, Chief Engagement Officer at the John Templeton Foundation. “We are excited to support this program at Wake Forest to train top scholars to communicate complex ideas and tackle real-world challenges.”

About the workshops

Workshops are intended for faculty experts who have received (or defended) their PhD by January 15 and want to learn how to communicate their ideas to general audiences by successfully placing articles and essays in high-profile publications. International candidates are welcome to apply. A maximum of 12 scholars may be selected for each workshop.

Individual workshops, each led by veteran newspaper and magazine editor James Ryerson, are designed to benefit scholars with a range of experience writing for the general public. Lessons include training in framing and structuring scholarly work for non-academic readers. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the national media landscape and editorial process, stronger skills in public writing, and one piece ready for submission to a major media outlet.

“I was a participant at one of the earlier workshops, and it was one of the most impactful experiences I have ever had in my academic life,” said Miller. “We aren’t trained as academics to write for a popular audience. The workshop gave me the tools, skills and, perhaps most of all, the confidence needed to do this. It was invaluable.”

Long-term support and alumni network

After completing a workshop, participants will have access to an alumni community supported by editor, producer and public-scholarship strategist Joseph Fridman. Benefits include:

• Ongoing assistance with ideation, pitching and editing.
• Support for other media formats (e.g., podcasts).
• Access to document-sharing platforms, professional mentorship and networking opportunities with national writers and editors.

Public Engagement Prizes

Each year, past applicants to a workshop will be eligible to apply for one of three Public Engagement Prizes, each worth $15,000. The prizes aim to both incentivize additional public-facing work as well as reward scholars who have already done good published work.

Public Engagement Fellows

Three alumni of the workshops will be selected each year as Public Engagement Fellows to participate in a yearlong program designed to convert initial engagement into sustained public-facing work. The fellowship is oriented toward scholars who have demonstrated promise and success but lack the time and editorial support to turn occasional output into a sustained, high-profile practice. They will meet regularly with James Ryerson throughout the year and will also receive support from Joseph Fridman.

How to apply

Applications are now open for the first Public Scholars Project writing workshop at Wake Forest University. The workshop will be held on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 15-16, 2027, at The Graylyn Estate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

Faculty and researchers in eligible disciplines are invited to apply for this fully funded opportunity. Applications are due by the end of the day Friday, October 9, 2026. 

To submit an application or learn more about the project, visit beyondtheivorytower.com.