SciComm Award

In partnership with the Brain Research Institute (BRI) and the Graduate Programs in Bioscience (GPB), we are happy to announce the inaugural SciComm Award!

16 lucky students will get to attend an immersive, hands-on science communication workshop put on by the prestigious Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. Taught by faculty from Stony Brook, the workshop combines effective messaging with improvisational theater-based techniques to help scientists connect with their audience and translate their research.

Skills include:

• Learning to shape your research into a memorable and compelling story

• Minimizing jargon and increasing clarity

• Learning how to interact with your audience and shape your narrative

The 3-hour live session will be on May 7th, 2021 at 10am PST. More details below.

The Alan Alda Center is one of the most prestigious institutions for science communication training. Taught by Stony Brook faculty, this course offers effective communication strategies and techniques that invite others to explore science and its significance. It is designed to help scientists connect with others, whether virtually or in person.

Usually cost-prohibitive for students, this course is a fantastic way to develop your communication skills. Crafting effective narratives around research is invaluable to all graduate students, whether you are hoping to use these skills to improve your writing for scientific articles or grants, enhance your presentation style for conferences or lectures, engage in outreach to local communities, or even just elevate how you tell your friends and family about what you spend your days doing.

Outcomes:

- Learn to connect and interact with an audience in meaningful ways

- Employ strategies that make messages and information memorable

- Shift your focus to others and learn when and how to adapt your messaging to aid their comprehension

- Prioritize clarity in presenting science by minimizing jargon and using evocative language and analogies

- Apply a strategic communication tool to consider audience, contact, challenges, and communication goals

REQUIREMENTS:

- The ability to use Zoom video conferencing on a desktop or laptop (not a phone or tablet) with audio and video capabilities enabled

- Feel free to email neurocommaffinitygroup@gmail.com with any questions about applications or the workshop itself

The Alda Method is a unique approach to science communication training that combines improvisational theater-based techniques with message-design strategies. The immersive method emphasizes two-way communication to build trust and invite others to share in the wonder and joy of science, incorporating research and best practices from science communication, journalism, ethics, and other relevant fields.