Effectively Communicating Science Workshops (2018-2020); Saint Paul, Minnesota

Mitchell Hamline School Of Law, Saint Paul MN

Investigators

Abstract

This award support three annual "Effectively Communicating Science" Workshops on the topics of weather modification and hydraulic fracking to help scientists in communicating and teaching complex Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) concepts effectively and ethically. The premise of the Workshops is that scientists must not be advocates for one side or the other, but must be able to convey the quality and accuracy of their work. There is a significant societal impact in helping scientists better communicate and teach their expertise. There are thousands of scientists in geoscience-related fields who are teaching, researching, publishing, and communicating with colleagues in the STEM community and the public at large. These scientists, and their work, will become increasingly important in future scientific and public discussions on complex STEM concepts. The project team will build on the success of previously-funded Workshops; expand the number of participants who benefit from the Workshops; further refine the Workshop materials and methodology; and implement and evaluate new materials to reach more participants in other STEM disciplines. Each Workshop includes a diverse group of approximately twenty-four science participants, an equal number of law students (law students are not supported with NSF funds), and an experienced cadre of practicing lawyers, judges, and legal educators. The Workshops will include simulations where participants communicate and teach complex STEM concepts to non-scientists in a range of challenging settings. During the workshops, participants learn and practice the role of both scientists and non-scientists to: 1) develop and build upon skills necessary to effectively communicate their expertise; 2) understand the culture and perspectives of non-scientists; and 3) develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the different challenges in communicating and teaching complex STEM concepts to non-scientists. Workshop faculty provide individualized feedback and coaching along the way. The potential Broader Impacts involve creating a diverse cadre of scientists who are better prepared to teach complex Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) concepts effectively and ethically. All Workshop alumni become informal "Fellows" of the program which preserves, encourages, and continues to build a network of scientists who have, in turn, developed informal mentorships, collaborative relationships, and support of each other as they work to better communicate and teach STEM concepts. Participants in Workshops in previous years have included academic geoscientists familiar to science programs across the wider NSF as well as participants from industry and with ties to various government agencies. Weather modification and hydraulic fracking are issues of increasing interest in science and policy circles. Some previous scientist participants in the Workshop are now actively engaged in research, application, and policy aspects in these fields and have benefited from exposure to the culture of the law and regulation. It is the Paleoclimate Program's judgement that exposure to such trans-cultural experiences enhances the public discourse on knotty technical and policy issues. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.