Podcasts for engagement and connection
The MOFcast is a new podcast series from the European metal-organic framework network (EU4MOFs). The network hold panel discussions with various guests from the porous materials and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) field—including materials scientists, industry professionals, policymakers, business leaders, and more. The aim is to promote an interdisciplinary connection between everyone with an interest in MOFs.
We chat with Ocean Chung, host of MOFcast, to find out more:
Where did the idea for a EU4MOFs podcast come from?
Outreach or science communication is something that academic researchers can often overlook. I think it’s relatively safe to say that research communication today is still primarily done through research papers that often hide behind a paywall. Separately, at times when I have felt like I should be proactive and use podcasts as a way to learn new things whilst, for example, running errands, I have found I can learn a lot about topics such as economics or mental health, but there is very little on the topic of materials science. I realized that through the EU4MOF Action, I could get the necessary support to change this and start a podcast covering this topic to bring the community together.
Have you hosted a podcast before Ocean? How has the process been for you so far experimenting with a new medium? And challenges?
No, I have never hosted a podcast before (and when I listen to it myself, I cringe…). It’s definitely something that I need more practice in, but so far, I think I have managed to make it work. I find it very difficult to make the discussion flow naturally. The editing part is fun, though. The main challenge is actually finding researchers who are willing to come on as guests. I think a lot of people still find it overwhelming to be “interviewed,” but in fact, the recording session itself is not very different from a typical online meeting – it just happens to be recorded.
Promoting the podcast effectively to the point that it reaches the target audience is difficult. My personal observation is that there is still a large number of people in the community who may not be familiar with the idea of listening to podcasts. They may see it as something they “don’t do.” This is based on feedback when I have promoted the podcast in person at meetings and conferences. Regardless of the age of the person I talk to, many just don’t listen to podcasts.
(COST would like to add that Ocean is a very natural podcast host despite his misgivings and concurs that nearly everyone hates their own voice when they hear it back in a recording!)
Do you have any statistics to share on the reach and/or impact of the podcast so far?
Since launch in November 2024 we have had a total of 463 downloads in 41 different countries.
How can public engagement and science communication projects like this improve knowledge of your field?
I would like to see the MOFCast move toward reporting/showcasing the latest developments in the field. So far, our episodes have mainly focused on introducing people. We have created platform for researchers to present their latest work in a way that makes the science accessible and understandable to anyone interested, ranging from the general public to professional scientists. There are many misconceptions in the MOF field, and this is one way to clear them up.
Find out more
Listen to all episodes of MOFcast here and subscribe for future updates – MOFcast just realised episode 5 so listen here now.
Read the COST Action news on EU4MOFs introducing this research network.
If you like podcasts and want delve into more COST Actions outputs then why not check out audio content from some of our other research networks:
Other science communication best practice examples:
