Credibility

Which one of these guys would you trust to tell you about plants in the Triassic period?
Photo credit: US Army Korea: IMCOM at the Gwacheon National Science Museum - Republic of Korea

In Part 2 of our scientific spokesperson series, we listed five characteristics of being a good spokesperson. The first qualification was to be credible (on the issue).

Scientists, by the pure nature of their degree in science are credible to much of the public. In a 2006 survey on Bridging the Sciences*, when asked to choose the best spokesperson for science, 51% ranked scientists first overall and 78% of Americans ranked scientists in the top three (with medical professionals and voluntary health organizations).

However, within the scientific community, we acknowledge that a biologist may not be the best source for a news story on an earthquake and a physicist may not have the appropriate expertise to discuss the effects of a prescription drug. But, scientists who put themselves into the public arena are asked to comment on a number of scientific issues - not just the ones they specialize in.

While those scientists probably know more than the person interviewing them, and even the majority of people who'll be receiving the information, they aren't credible on the issue.

If it isn't one of your areas of expertise and especially if it isn't in your field, just refer the person seeking information to a colleague who is more entrenched in the issue at hand. Obviously, in casual conversation, your knowledge is likely to be more than sufficient. In the same way that scientists frown upon splinter groups who prop up anyone with a PhD to present the opposition argument, we must represent science with the most credible spokespeople on the issue.

*Specific data available on slide 18 of the PDF

This is Part 3 of the New Voices series on being a spokesperson for science.
Part 1 - Scientific Spokespeople
Part 2 - Being a Spokesperson

NIH Funds Summer Lab Experience

Want to work in a lab like this over the summer?
Photo credit: Adam Coster

Once upon a time (a couple years ago) I was a teacher. And speaking from my experience both as a student and instructor, there could really be no better investment in the future of research in this country than to expose more teachers and students to the practical way that science is applied in real life.

So I couldn't have been happier when NIH Acting Director Raynard Kington announced at the National Forum last week the agency's plan to route some of it's $10.4 billion from the recovery package into a program that gives high school students and science educators a chance to work in a research lab over the summer.

The program not only opens up job opportunities within labs, but will expose young people (and those teaching them) to real-world research. It'll both stimulate the economy and invest in the future - two of the major goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

If you currently work in an NIH funded lab, I strongly encourage you to check out this exciting opportunity to both advocate for your own work, improve your science communication, educate and inspire others. Also, if you are/know a science teacher or interested high school student, tell them to look for opportunities coming to a lab near them.

Details about how to get involved are available through the NIH website.

DC Cherry Blossoms

Photo credit: Andrew Bossi

New Voices is off today and out enjoying the spring weather and blooms.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off this weekend in DC. The annual event features parades, activities for kids, cultural performances and of course the lovely cherry blossoms along the tidal basin. As a resident of the area, I tend to avoid the crowds downtown and instead head off to the arboretum to enjoy the cherry blossoms.

The National Arboretum was established in 1927 by an Act of Congress and is spread over 446 acres. Since it isn't located down by the Mall, most visitors are completely unaware of its existence. I was down there this weekend and some of the cherry trees are already blooming. Walking by some of the trees this weekend, I noticed signs posted with cartoon microscopes on them! What?

Upon closer inspection, I realized the signs said that important research was in progress and to not disturb the area. Research? at the arboretum? I came home and did some e-research of my own. The arboretum supports researchers studying everything from conservation to taxonomy and generation recombinant disease resistant plants. Anyone out there know more about this?

Even on our days off, we can't help but run into research. Have a great weekend!

Communicating Without Jargon

Chronicles of a Science Policy Fellow

One of the first things I had to learn (and am still struggling with) is communicating without the technical jargon. It sounds simple. But, in reality, is really, really tough. Try explaining vaccine development without using the words peptide or antibody.

Using the correct (scientific) term is an integral part of getting trained to being a professional scientist. That is what I was trained to do for over a decade. Now, I have to learn ways to communicate the essence of the science without leaning on terms and words because they often mean nothing to non-scientists.

My first day at Research!America, I was chatting with my colleagues and they asked me what I did in the lab. I gave them a long-winded explanation and I tried really hard to not use technical terms. At the end of my spiel (which I thought I had done really well), one of my colleagues said, "I think I got about 10% of what you said." That stunned me.

Every scientist should have the three sentence elevator speech about what they do.
People want to know the "what and why" of any argument. But they don't want to spend hours listening to the minute details of the argument.

The difference between being an advocate and being an advocate that people pay attention to is largely a matter of being able to communicate well. No one questions the scientific credentials of scientists. Just by virtue of the fact that you have earned your PhD alone, you gain huge amounts of credibility in the public's eye. Translating that credibility into a platform for effective advocacy involves learning to communicate well.

Research!America Annual Events

Research!America's Advocacy Awards Dinner surprise dessert
Photo credit: Jen Moran

Yesterday Research!America held a series of annual events including our 2009 National Forum: Science in the Service of the Nation and Advocacy Awards Dinner. This is big news at New Voices for a couple of reasons. First, because the New Voices for Research initiative was officially launched. Hooray!

Secondly, all of the regular New Voices contributors helped organize and attended the events. So, we thought it might be nice to share a little bit about what we've been working on (outside of New Voices) and some of the key moments from yesterday.

FlyGal's scientific perspective on the National Forum:
It was exhilarating to be at the event and hear so many stalwarts of science share their thoughts. The most exciting thing for me was the enthusiasm in the community for science and research. It was refreshing to hear that research should be viewed as an investment rather than as an expense.The consensus was that this is the time to build new partnerships and invest in human capital. I wanted to get up and cheer when Dr. Kington (acting head of NIH) said that we have to send a clear signal to young people that they have a future in science. He said that when a young person gets excited about science, it increases society's investment portfolio. It was so inspiring to hear the leaders of the research community talk about investing in the investigators of tomorrow.

Emily Norton's view as an advocate:
The Advocacy Awards Dinner was a magnificent success. All seven award winners were brilliant, inspiring individuals that have passionately advocated for science and research in unique ways. The energy in the room was electric; it was easy to see that everyone is excited to welcome a new era for science in the United States.

Dr. C. Everett Coop, former U.S. Surgeon General, was presented with the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Award for Sustained National Leadership for his longstanding dedication to health advocacy. He had a strong presence on the stage as he said “No brick of this hospital was placed, no care of a patient was planned… without the knowledge…that the problem has to go through the crucible of research. We will never attain the potential in this country until we recognize that without research it just doesn’t work.”

Heather's take from behind the scenes:
Being part of planning for huge events like this can be overwhelming and time consuming. But, like most things that take a lot of upfront effort, the end result is so much more satisfying. It also helps you remember what a team effort event planning can be. Being the point of contact for heads of government agencies and multi-national corporations can be a heady position, but nothing would run without the people responsible for coordinating nametags or media outreach.

We had a last minute panelist substitution and at least five members of the staff rallied to prepare for the new panelist - not to mention his willingness to step up and serve on a panel with 10 minutes notice! It would not have been possible without good team dynamics and strong relationships built beforehand.

We'll keep giving you tips on planning events (like we did here and here), but my take-away from yesterday's whirlwind was definitely that nothing makes event planning easier than solid upfront organization and a magnificent team of people supporting the effort.

For more coverage of the National Forum and Advocacy Awards, check out:

• This article from ScienceInsider (Science magazine's blog) about Sen. Arlen Specter's remarks upon receiving the Research!America Legacy Award.
• Our colleague Allison's thoughts via the Research!America twitter feed
• A podcast of the National Forum (Update: now available)
  

How To: Define a Goal for an Event

Part 1 of our series about planning events mentioned five basic steps to consider during the planning process. The first step we mentioned was defining a goal. Having a goal sets the tone for the planning process as well as the atmosphere of the event itself.

To help define your goal, ask yourself a few questions:

• Why do you want to hold the event?
• What are you trying to achieve?
• What information would you like to share?
• What audience are you targeting?

Answering these questions will help you focus your planning process. Many events have one or more of these types of goals: education about an issue/topic, advocacy, fund-raising, media coverage.

Assess your progress at each stage of the planning process to make sure that your event will meet your goals.

This is Part 2 in our event planning series. (Part 1- How To: The Basics of Event Planning)

Texas: More than a Century Later, the Debate Continues

Comic credit: Toothpaste for Dinner, November 2007

One hundred and fifty years after the first publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species, the creationism vs. evolution debate persists. This morning’s Wall Street Journal reported that the Texas Board of Education is set to vote on new science curriculum this week. The proposed changes would prompt educators to raise doubts about evolution, opening the door for teaching creationism in the classroom.

This has been an ongoing debate in Texas for years and has come to the forefront again as advocacy groups from both sides of the platform seek to promote their viewpoints. The National Center for Science in Education in California advocates for preserving evolution as part of public school science curriculum. The NCSE has been tracking the developments in Texas and provides updates and opportunities to take action here.

The curriculum change would have widespread significance. In January, the NYTimes reported that when the final vote occurs in March, “[w]hatever the 15-member board decides then will have consequences far beyond Texas, since the state is one of the largest buyers of textbooks in the nation. The new standards will be in place for the next decade, starting in 2010, and will influence the writing of the next generation of biology texts...”

Not only would the new curriculum contribute to a basic lack of scientific knowledge, but it could also negatively affect Texas’s economy. The NYTimes reported that “[b]usiness leaders, meanwhile, said Texas would have trouble attracting highly educated workers and their families if the state’s science programs were seen as a laughingstock among biologists.”

Contact information for the Texas Association of School Boards can be found here. Let them know where you stand on the upcoming vote.

Spring Time is Fundraising Time

During the current economic turmoil, one thing is constantly on most people's mind---money. Money is an integral part of advocacy - whether you run an organization or are dedicated to a cause - and it "doesn't grow on trees" (though we all wish it would). Many times, particularly in the non-profit world, money is raised through fund-raising. There are some innovative and non-invasive ways to approach fund-raising from a grassroots level.

One of the best ways to raise money is to time your campaign to an annual event - like a holiday or a season.

The American Cancer Society has run a highly effective campaign for over 35 years called Daffodil Days. Daffodil Days is launched each spring. So, watching the first daffodils poke their heads out of the frozen ground not only reminds me that spring is here, it also reminds me to give to the Cancer Society. As the first flower of spring, the daffodil represents hope and renewal - the hope that the future will be cancer free in America. Daffodil Days has raised upwards of $250 million so far.

Another great campaign is Trick-or-Treat for Unicef. Linked to Halloween- a holiday that revolves around kids - they raise money for impoverished children around the world.

Both of these campaigns not only raise money but also raise awareness in the community about the cause they are supporting. They are both examples of long-standing, traditional door-to-door campaigning that have now also adapted themselves to the growing trend of e-philanthropy.

A more recent campaign success story is Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Alexandra "Alex" Scott was diagnosed with a type of childhood cancer before she was even a year old. She decided to set up a lemonade stand in her front yard and donate the money toward childhood cancer research. Alex’s Lemonade spread like wildfire and people started to hold their own lemonade stands all over the country, donating the proceeds to her foundation. Alex’s Lemonade even became a Rita’s Water Ice flavor...yum!

All three campaigns involve simple ideas - a flower that represents hope, kids raising money for kids and a little girl's lemonade stand- but contain powerful messages. Whatever approach you decide to take, always remember to stay true to your mission.

We wish you good luck raising funds (and awareness) for all your worthy causes.

Happy Spring!

By: FlyGal & Emily Norton

Framing Basics

In the past couple of years there has been much talk in the field of science communication about framing. Framing is simply a way to talk about a specific issue that helps people recognize the way that issue relates to them.

Frames are not about persuasion, but activation. There is an interaction between preset frames in a listener's head and the presenter's frames - if the preset frames correlate with the frames in a presentation, an issue becomes more relevant to the audience. A simple example of this would be explaining to your roommate about an accident in the house:

You: You know that glass vase you kept saying you hated because you could never reach your hand to the bottom to clean it?
Roommate: Yes.
You: I don't think you have to worry about it anymore.

An example of a frame that wouldn't work in the same scenario:

You: You know that heirloom vase with your hand-painted family tree on it that your great-grandmother gave you before she died?
Roommate: Yes.
You: Do you have a picture of it?
Roommate: Why?
You: Because I already bought the super glue but couldn't remember which of your relatives go next to each other.

In a way, framing is "lensing" an issue - it is how you approach something. Framing tells you why an issue matters and what to do about it, often without you having to think about it. Most importantly, framing focuses attention on one aspect of a situation to the exclusion of another.

Framing is a good tool for advocates because frames can be used to: strategically define issues, mobilize, minimize or expand media attention, and shift debate to favorable policy contexts.

According to Gamson & Lasch,* frames:

• simplify things because they focus on one dimension over others
• work by activating preconceived notions
• help trigger a connection to a larger cultural value

What kinds of frames do you see about science?

*Gamson, W.A., & Lasch, K.E. (1983). The political culture of social welfare policy. In S.E. Spiro & E Yuchtman-Yaar (Eds.), Evaluating the welfare state (pp. 397-415). New York: Academic Press.

So, what do you do?

It's a running joke here in the Washington, DC area that the first thing you ask a person when you meet them is what they do for a living.

Here at New Voices we've written about getting out and shaking hands with the people around you, learning about what they do and sharing your work as a scientist with them.

Part of being able to do that is describing your job in one short, concise statement (less than 25 words). This can be difficult when some job titles are five, ten, or fifteen words long all by themselves. Luckily, my job title is fairly short. Unluckily, it is incredibly non-descript. So, when I'm explaining my work to someone new, I don't always use my title. A couple of examples:

1. I'm an advocate for health research. My organization, Research!America, works for increased funding for agencies like the National Institutes of Health and CDC. (23 words)

2. I'm the manager of science outreach for Research!America, a non-profit that advocates for increased government investment in research to improve health. (21 words)

3. I work for Research!America, a health research advocacy organization. My job includes planning events and managing a daily blog about science communication and advocacy. (24 words)

All three provide slightly different information, but they all:

• Avoid jargon
• Include the name of the organization I work for and
• A brief description of what Research!America does
  
• Have key words about my organization and job (health and research)
• Keep it short, sweet, and to the point

So, how about you? What do you do? We look forward to meeting you in the comments section!