Science Communications

The policy “cycle” is made of complicated interactions between individuals, each with their own knowledge, perspective, and network. The process stops and starts, doubles back on itself, and gets stuck in iterative loops that appear to defy progress. The role science plays is equally complex

Want to know the top ten things that you can start doing – from light lifts to larger investments – to improve your communication skills in grad school?

Our communications training partner COMPASS offers their top ten practical resources, tools, tips and tricks to be an effective scientist communicator today.

Done well, self-promotion is acting in service of your ideas, not just clamoring for affirmation. Finding your voice, focusing on great content, and positioning it effectively can create positive spirals to benefit your work and your career. You have great ideas. Get over yourself, get out there, and help us discover them.

While not everyone may be interested in your science at first, many people are interested in scientists, as your work seems…mysterious. What do you actually do? Why are you so devoted to it? They want to know what makes you tick. Even if your research can seem obscure, they are often eager to discover a new perspective on the world through your eyes.

Why isn’t a data-driven approach to science communication our default?

You work hard every day on issues affecting the health of residents in your state. You release reports about the dangers of fracking and other critical environmental issues. You try to link economic development with natural resource stewardship. You tweet and blog and host webinars to get the issues out to the public. But if you live in a state like West Virginia, you’re literally swimming upstream struggling for recognition of the big issues in the face of policymakers tied to a carbon-based future.

You’ve just hung up the phone after a call with a Congressional staffer. After a wide-ranging conversation and some probing questions, the staffer invited you to be a witness at a Congressional hearing. You’ve even got the official letter signed by the Chair of the Committee. Now what?