Metcalf Institute plans lunchtime SciComm Exchange sessions

You’re a scientist conducting great research, but now it’s time to communicate your findings to a public audience, your peers, or potential grant funders. Do you have the range of communication skills needed to clearly relate your work to these diverse audiences? As part of an ongoing effort to help Rhode Island scientists effectively communicate their research, Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting is launching SciComm Exchange one-hour lunchtime sessions designed to help research faculty, staff, and graduate students strengthen their communication skills through informal conversations with their peers and communication experts.

The first SciComm Exchange will be held in partnership with Brown University on Tuesday, February 25, 2014, from 12 to 1 p.m., at Brown’s Science Center located on the 3rd floor of the Brown Science Library, 201 Thayer Street in Providence.

The SciComm Exchange, supported by Rhode Island NSF Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), is open to faculty, research staff and graduate students from colleges or universities in Rhode Island. Participants will hear from experts on why it’s important to craft clear, concise messages about their research, and how to create the best message for their respective audiences. Researchers will be encouraged to discuss these questions and the experts’ insights through informal exchanges with their colleagues.

Featured SciComm Exchange speakers:
Meaghan Wims is a former reporter and current public relations account supervisor for Rhode Island public relations firm Duffy & Shanley and Annie Sherman is an author, managing editor of Newport Life Magazine and a Metcalf Advisory Board member.

Lunch is included and registration is free, but space is limited, so participants should register by February 21. Register here.

Topics for future SciComm Exchanges may include:
• Pitching a story to a reporter
• Improving your presentations for science conferences
• New approaches to data visualizations for public engagement
• Working with the communication staff at your college/university

About Metcalf Institute:
The University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute is an internationally recognized leader in providing environmental science training for journalists. The Institute also offers communication workshops for scientists, science resources for journalists and free public lectures on environmental topics.

Metcalf Institute was established at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography in 1997 with funding from three media foundations, the Belo Corporation, the Providence Journal Charitable Foundation and the Philip L. Graham Fund, with additional support from the Telaka Foundation. Metcalf programming is underwritten by federal and foundation grants, as well as private donations managed by the University of Rhode Island Foundation.

About RI NSF EPSCoR:
Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR conducts groundbreaking research and develops academic talent in the science and technology fields to increase competitiveness in research and development, build a more capable workforce and fuel economic growth in the Ocean State. Funded by the National Science Foundation and state contributions, RI EPSCoR brings together nine of the state’s public and private institutions of higher education in pursuit of a strong and sustainable marine ecosystem that serves as a foundation for Rhode Island’s economy and quality of life. Its partner institutions are Brown University, Bryant University, Community College of Rhode Island, Providence College, Rhode Island School of Design, Roger Williams University, and Salve Regina University.