Given tight funding for research and a public that is often skeptical of science, Duke’s Science & Society launched a program last year to help faculty explain their work to the public and policymakers.
“The premise of our program is simple: the more clearly a researcher can explain her work to a broad audience, the more likely funding agencies, policymakers and the public will be to support it,” said Misha Angrist, associate professor of the practice and a senior fellow in Duke Science & Society. “And while that certainly makes intuitive sense, there are actually some data to support it.”
The SciComm Fellows Program is designed to help Duke scientists develop their communication skills and practice putting them into action. During the training, scientists (now including both faculty and postdocs) work with experts in science communication, media, narrative and policy.
Last year, 20 faculty members took part in the program. Tim Buthe, associate professor of political science and public policy, said he learned "valuable insights into best practices for communicating research findings and research needs to audiences."
"It made me feel more comfortable with, and frankly better at, speaking about my research with others who don't already share my scholarly interest," Buthe said. "It also was frankly a fantastic opportunity to learn about the many different, extremely interesting and important issues that colleagues in other departments of schools are working on--and occasionally even to brainstorm together about the broader implications of their research."
The program will run for four Fridays – once a month -- during the fall semester, beginning Sept. 11. All sessions will run for approximately five hours, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and include continental breakfast and lunch. The Oct. 16 session includes individual on-camera work, with an optional afternoon session that runs until 5 pm.
Angrist said SciComm fellows will explore the empirical benefits of communicating science, develop their speaking, writing and storytelling practices for diverse audiences and learn to answer difficult, controversial and critical questions from the media. Fellows will gain experience tweeting, blogging, writing op-eds and presenting their research to connect with the lay public, prepare policy briefs and engage with policymakers and funders.
All regular-rank faculty members and postdoctoral fellows in the sciences are eligible, but admission is competitive. Twenty-four fellows will be selected (20 faculty members and 4 postdocs). Senior faculty members are encouraged to nominate candidates. Postdoctoral fellows must identify a faculty sponsor.
Science & Society will cover the $2,000 tuition costs for the program for fellows who participate in all four sessions. However, for every missed session, fellows will be charged $500.
For registration information, click here. Additional information can be found on the Science & Society website or by emailing scienceandsociety@duke.edu.
Shakira Warren is a rising junior at N.C. Central University who is working this summer as an intern with the Office of News and Communications.