Best of CASE District V Award
 

Institution: University of Chicago

Title of entry: Big Brains Podcast

About this entry: In today's climate of increased political polarization and waning trust in institutions, academic expertise and evidence-based research are more important than ever. While individual scientists and experts remain among the most trusted sources of information, the public is yearning for more accessible communication about science, research, and innovation (2024 Edelman Trust Barometer). This is why the objective of the Big Brains podcast is to interview a wide range of scholars to share their groundbreaking research with general audiences.

Since 2018, the University of Chicago’s Big Brains podcast has served as a forum for Nobel laureates and world-leading scholars to share cutting-edge research through engaging interviews that any audience can understand. From the promises and pitfalls of radical climate solutions to contemporary threats of political violence, the podcast brings trusted experts to important issues and complex problems that are shaping our world.

In 2023, the podcast found innovative ways to share these compelling stories with audiences via dynamic, bite-sized digital content on its website, social media, and other channels. It also launched a newsletter and a campus-wide podcast festival to enhance engagement and develop in-depth, exclusive content to connect with its audience of highly engaged knowledge-seekers.

The podcast’s focus on high production value, compelling explainer content, and new tactics for reaching curious minds led to astonishing results—achieving over a half million downloads in 2023 (a 14% increase from 2022). The podcast also significantly grew its web presence, with over 230,000 page views, and achieved over 800K total engagements in 2023.