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

该奖项支持三个以人工影响天气和水力压裂为主题的年度“有效传播科学”研讨会，以帮助科学家有效和合乎道德地交流和教授复杂的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)概念。研讨会的前提是，科学家不能是一方或另一方的倡导者，但必须能够传达他们工作的质量和准确性。帮助科学家更好地交流和教授他们的专业知识具有重大的社会影响。在地球科学相关领域，有数千名科学家从事教学、研究、出版工作，并与STEM社区的同事和广大公众进行交流。这些科学家和他们的工作在未来关于STEM复杂概念的科学和公众讨论中将变得越来越重要。项目组将在以前资助的研讨会的成功基础上再接再厉；扩大受益于研讨会的参与者人数；进一步完善研讨会的材料和方法；并实施和评估新材料，以接触到其他STEM学科的更多参与者。每个研讨会包括一个由大约24名科学参与者组成的不同的小组，同样数量的法律系学生(法律系学生没有得到NSF的资助)，以及一批经验丰富的执业律师、法官和法律教育者。研讨会将包括模拟，参与者在一系列具有挑战性的环境中向非科学家交流和教授复杂的STEM概念。在讲习班期间，参与者学习和实践科学家和非科学家的作用，以：1)发展和积累有效交流其专业知识所需的技能；2)了解非科学家的文化和观点；以及3)加深对向非科学家交流和教授复杂的STEM概念所面临的不同挑战的理解和欣赏。工作坊教师提供个性化的反馈和指导。潜在的更广泛的影响包括培养一支多样化的科学家队伍，他们更好地准备好有效和道德地教授复杂的科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)概念。所有的研讨会校友都成为该计划的非正式“研究员”，该计划保留、鼓励并继续建立一个科学家网络，这些科学家在努力更好地交流和教授STEM概念的同时，发展了非正式的指导、合作关系和相互支持。前几年参加研讨会的人包括熟悉更广泛的NSF科学计划的学术地球科学家，以及来自行业和与不同政府机构有联系的参与者。人工影响天气和水力压裂是科学界和政策界越来越感兴趣的问题。一些以前参加讲习班的科学家现在积极参与这些领域的研究、应用和政策方面，并从接触法律和条例的文化中受益。根据古气候计划的判断，接触这种跨文化经历会增强公众对棘手的技术和政策问题的讨论。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.