The new Broadcast Development Awards aim to help bring biomedical issues to mass media.

Most people get their information about science from television, radio and the internet, but broadcasters do not always find it easy to bring ideas for biomedical science programmes to the screen or airwaves. The Wellcome Trust's Broadcast Development Awards are intended to help this process, allowing early-stage ideas for TV, radio or new media projects to be developed into full proposals that can be used to secure further funding or a broadcasting platform. Up to £10 000 for a maximum of one year is available for activities such as research, developing scripts, scoping multimedia activities or working up distribution plans.

These awards are part of the Wellcome Trust's broadcast programme, which aims to encourage increased quality, quantity and visibility of biomedical science in television, film, radio and the internet. Recent highlights include funding for 'The Relief of Belsen', a feature-length documentary (see Funding: 'The Relief of Belsen'), and work with broadcasters to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection'.

See also

• Broadcast media strategy