COSEE NOW supported scientists in the development and implementation of Education & Public Outreach (Broader Impacts) projects and in general better communication skills.
BROADER IMPACTS
Increasingly more funding agencies are requiring scientists to broaden the impact of their research outside of peer-reviewed journals and academia. COSEE NOW offers a variety of resources for scientists to develop and implement their broader impacts. For example, we developed a “Broader Impact Wizard” to construct a statement that satisfies the Broader Impacts (BI) criterion of a research proposal. The BI Wizard is designed to help you create a broader impact statement and/or share this information with a potential BI partner. In addition, we provide a range of pre-award and post-award resources that will assist you in developing your Education and Public Outreach (EPO) projects.
SCIENCE STORYTELLING
Being able to communicate your science both within and outside the scientific community is paramount for success. COSEE NOW worked in many capacities with different scientists to develop their science stories. Below are some examples of science stories to look through:
- Ocean Observatory Stories – Explore these range of stories to learn why ocean observing systems are important?
- S.O.S. Trouble at Sea – Dr. Rachel Shelly (Florida State University) developed a media piece focused on her research specialty phytoplankton and pollution. Take a look and see what you think.
- Alex Kahl: Life as a Graduate Student – Alex tells the story of how he became a physical oceanography through Art History. Click on the link to listen to his story.
- Science Stories 2012 – Scientists participated in a Science Stories webinar series with Dr. Ari Daniel Shapiro in early 2012 and developed a suite of science stories about their work.
SCIENTIST WEBINARS
Broaden Your Impact Series (2010) An online seminar (webinar) series that discusses how to approach NSF’s broader impacts requirements in proposals, including how to generate novel ideas for broader impacts activities, how to implement broader impacts activities, and how to measure their impact. This webinar series focuses on sharing ideas and resources on the development of broader impact statements. Different approaches to and examples of effective and transferable activities are highlighted. The goal of the four, one-hour webinars is to help build the capacity of scientists to implement and evaluate broader impact activities.
Tips for Negotiating a Job in Academia (2012) In this webinar, which was part of a the Gears Professional Development Series, Dr. Jim Yoder provides early career scientists with tips on how to negotiate a job in academia. Click on the following links to access the recording of this webinar and the associated slides.
Using Social Media to Promote Your Science (2012) Social networking is an important new tool for collaboration and knowledge exchange among scientists. In this webinar, which was led by Janice McDonnell in 2012, we explored using tools such as Facebook, Twitter, online workgroups, and forums to leverage existing professional networks to increase capacity and productivity.
SCIENTIST EVENTS
Gears Professional Development Series Scientists are increasingly being asked to communicate the “broader impacts” of their work. These workshops are intended to help attendees think creatively about how their research will impact their education goals and, conversely, how their education activities will feed back into their research. When research and education are effectively interconnected, the process of discovery can help stimulate learning and the resulting research can be communicated to a broader audience. Links to past Gears Professional Development Series are available on the Events page.
Deconstruct your Science and Influence People In May 2011, COSEE NOW, in partnership with COSEE OS, COSEE West, and COSEE California, offered a workshop focused on how concept maps can be used to deconstruct your science so that it is utilizable by the public and colleagues outside your field.
Strategies for Effective Education and Public Outreach (EPO) This event, held at the 2010 AGU Fall Meeting, focused on how you can enhance your networking, teaching, and professional skills. Scientists and representatives from COSEE and the Institute for Broadening Participation explored skills such as assessing prior knowledge of nonscientist audiences, understanding learning theories, and finding or developing simple, practical educational tools.
INTERACTING WITH THE MEDIA
Twitter & Facebook – A COSEE NOW team member came across this resource, “The Social Timing Sweet Spot: Timing your posts for optimal results,” in her Twitter feed that might be helpful for you.
Selling Your Science to the Media – In this blog post, COSEE NOW members and a media relations expert discuss some successful strategies and potential pitfalls when selling your outreach events to the media.
Building Your Online Reputation – This online article identified by a COSEE NOW team member discusses the value of social media and building a platform for your science. It also includes a video link on how to be innovative in the age of social media.
Using Social Media to Promote Your Science – Social networking is an important new tool for collaboration and knowledge exchange among scientists. In this webinar, which was led by Janice McDonnell in 2012, we explored using tools such as Facebook, Twitter, online workgroups, and forums to leverage existing professional networks to increase capacity and productivity.
RESEARCH PROJECTS & BLOGS
RUCOLD!?: Freezing in the name of Science Researchers from Rutgers University and many others are often traveling to Antarctica to conduct their research. The researchers developed a research blog to explain what they were doing, the questions they were asking, and the methods they used.
Ross Sea Connection Hugh Powell, a science editor at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Chris Linder, a science and environmental photographer, traveled on the Ross Sea Connection science mission aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer and kept a blog about the mission to explain what the science teams were doing, the methods they were using, and life down in Antarctica on a ship is like.
Climate Change and the Atlantic Surfclam Fishery This project included a large interdisciplinary team of oceanographers and biologists, who developed a Mid-Atlantic Surfclam (MASC) model, and social scientists, who focused on the fisheries and the governance institutions. The project builds on an existing K-12 educational program and outreach with specialized communities such as the commercial fishery.
Synergy Synergy is an experimental program that catalyzes partnerships between artists and research scientists.