our vision
STEMcognito aims at fighting misinformation, increasing appreciation and communication of STEM, alongside supporting researchers and promoting their work. We want to share and advance knowledge in STEM and make it easily accessible, attractive and friendly. We are bringing closer two types of content: scientists talking to scientists and scientists talking to non-scientists in one place.
equity
We make sure to be free from bias and favourism. Each individual or group of people in STEMcognito is given the same resources or opportunities.
diversity
We welcome team members and video authors representing full range of human experience: race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, political beliefs, religion, culture, and more.
inclusion
We believe that inclusion is an involvement and empowerment. When people are included, their worth is recognized, and respected.
accessibility
We are committed to provide support for various human needs through providing subtitles, alt text, colourblind-friendly website, various levels of complexity.
communication
The best way to understand your needs is to gather frequent feedback about the state of our culture. We are open to suggestions and creative and impactful ideas.
education
We are committed to promote learning and development and we focus on the learning needs of our audience.
truth
Our fundamental core is built on facts, not opinions.
transparency
We are an officially registered charity. All information about our actions and status is freely available.
our beginnings
“When the pandemic hit in 2020, our lives shifted towards fast connections, virtual meetings, and social distancing. However, living in Australia, many interesting live webinars, scientific talks, and conferences happened in the middle of my nights, so I could not attend them. It was frustrating. So, in December 2020 I made a call on social media: looking for people who would be happy to co-host a platform for pre-recorded scientific talks.
This is how I found these 4 creative and passionate individuals! On January 4th, 2021, we officially joined forces to create STEMcognito! We are a by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic; a virtual company running on fibre-optics and glued together by the passion of our long-distance companionships! Together, we want to provide STEM professionals with a platform for their talks that are accessible and available for all audiences, experts and non-experts alike. This is your STEMcognito platform. Created by scientists. For you and not-for-profit!”
Dr Marta Gabryelska, CEO of STEMcognito Ltd
our pledge
STEMcognito signed the Parity.org ParityPledge® in Support of People of Color and in Support of Women.
The ParityPledge simply asks that companies commit to interview and consider at least one qualified woman and person of color for every open role, VP and above, including the C-suite and the board of directors.
Parity.org is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization focused on bringing gender and racial equality to the highest levels of business, calling for “Equal Representation. Now.”
our badges
At STEMcognito, we are painfully aware of the difficulties that women, people of colour, LGBTQ members, and other underrepresented groups face on a daily basis in STEM fields.
STEMcognito also values interdisciplinary research. This is why STEMcognito proudly introduces recognition badges to express our meaningful and genuine respect. You can apply badges from the categories below.
our founders
Dr Marta Gabryelska
I am an enthusiastic RNA biochemist, a great admirer of innovative methods, interdisciplinary research and neuro-atypical people.
I work on bringing science closer to people and building bridges between STEM disciplines. Plus, I am a romantic believer of justice and stand against discrimination.
Mother of two children and two cats, lover of food and wine, boredom hater.
Dr Sarah Wettstadt
I am a microbiologist-turned science writer and science communicator. I made it my goal to share and advance science and to empower people so that every one of us can make better decisions and this world a better place.
If I am not at the laptop talking or writing about bacteria and their tiny world, you can find me at the beach playing beach volleyball and enjoying sunny weather.
Charlotte Webber
I am a PhD researcher at the University of Edinburgh working on projects to tackle the drop off in adolescent engagement in literacy activities. I work collaboratively with the Scottish Book Trust to design tools to support reading motivation in young people.
Also, I am passionate about demystifying academic research and making it more accessible, as well as about bringing together ideas from across disciplines. I am also passionate about running, fiction, and cake.
Dr Chloe Goldsmith
I work in epigenetics to try and understand the cross-talk between our lifestyles (what we eat, drink, do and are exposed to), and diseases like cancer. I am also passionate about public research and making science accessible for all. But more than ANYTHING else, I love chihuahuas.
Dr Sayed Ameenuddin Irfan
I received the Ph.D. degree in applied mathematics from Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Malaysia. I am currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Shale Gas Research Group (SGRG), Hydrocarbon Recovery Institute (IHR), Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS.
My main area of research is mathematical modelling and simulation for engineering applications focused on oil, gas and thermoelectric aircooling systems.
Cooking enthusiast, that put mathematics before realising my dream of opening a restaurant.
frequently asked questions
It is free to submit a video to STEMcognito. However, it does cost us to run the platform, therefore we are very happy to receive donations.
Yes, you can post a video. Minimum educational requirement to post on STEMcognito platform is a Bachelor’s Degree. You can create a science communication video about what you have learnt during your studies. If coming from an academic institution, please contact your supervisor to talk about policies at your university and what you are allowed to disclose.
You can post a video if you are not an expert. However, it will require content verification from an expert in the field whose name and affiliation will be featured on your video. It is your responsibility to find a suitable expert and we will need to receive their verification in writing.
Yes, videos in any language are welcome. However, to be accessible to as many viewers as possible, we ask you to prepare a transcript in English for us to use for subtitling. This will also enable us to verify the content of your video. The translator of the transcript, which can be yourself or a colleague/professional translator, needs to provide certification (please contact us for the Translation Certification Form) that they have the expertise to provide such translation and that they agree to have their name and affiliation featured on the website next to your video. It is your responsibility to find a suitable translator should you need one.
We are happy to provide consultation about video preparation and assist with video production where possible. However, this is subject to availability. Please also check our resources and contact us if you have any further questions.
Please talk to your supervisor and check with your university policies regarding what you are allowed to disclose.
Please read our guidelines for authors and watch our instruction video. If you have problems or questions, please contact us.
Yes, if you want to remove your video, please contact us.
We understand it might be difficult to assess your own work. Please read about our complexity levels and choose the level that in your opinion fits best. If we think your video is better suited in a different complexity category, we will contact you. If viewers suggest to change the complexity level of a video, we will also consider such change but will consult with the video author before making any such change.
We work hard to ensure all our content is verified and accurate. However, if you disagree with the content of a video on STEMcognito you can report a problem using the Report button next to the video. If you have questions for the video author, you are welcome to ask them in the Comments section of the video, however we ask that you do so respectfully, as per our guidelines. You can also contact us directly if you have any queries.
Fill out our STEMterviews application form and a member of the team will be in contact to schedule an interview. Interview slots are subject to the availability of our STEMterviews team; please be aware that slots may not be available immediately.
We have many different options on how to support us. Read about how to become a volunteer at STEMcognito or let us know what idea you have for us!
