[HubbardBrookCOS] new public engagement project

[Sarah Garlick]

Dear Colleague:

We are writing to invite you to participate in a new collaborative research
project at Harvard Forest and Hubbard Brook entitled: Embedding Public
Engagement with Science at Long Term Ecological Research Sites (PES @
LTERs). The project was recently awarded a three-year grant through NSF’s
Advancing Informal STEM Learning program.

The big-picture vision driving the PES @ LTERs project is to investigate
public engagement with science as a potentially transformative force on the
cultures, practices, and institutions of science. Because the research
programs at Harvard Forest and Hubbard Brook have already established
strong foundations in science communication, public engagement, and policy
integration, the sites are ideal for pushing these fields forward and
addressing important questions such as:

   - What are the impacts of different modes of engagement on both
   stakeholder and scientist participants?
   - What are scientists’ goals for engagement? What are their attitudes
   and beliefs about engagement and how might these views change over time
   with experiences?
   - What support mechanisms are needed at the institutional level to
   overcome barriers to sustained and effective public engagement?


By participating in this project you and your colleagues will help your
LTER site continue to advance as a leader in public engagement and build
essential relationships among scientists, stakeholders, and decision-makers
across the region. You will also gain opportunities for professional
development in effective science communication, public engagement, and
broader impacts plans. Moreover, the project offers a rare opportunity to
advance understanding of what works and why by integrating social science
research and program evaluation into our programs. To read more about the
project, please visit this webpage
<https://hubbardbrook.org/articles/embedding-public-engagement-science-lter-sites>
.

So, what does participation mean? There are four broad categories of
scientist participation: (1) responding to surveys and interview requests
from our social scientist and evaluators, (2) attending workshops and
seminars to expand skills and share what you’re learning, (3) engaging in
two-way interactions with stakeholders through your own work or as part of
this grant, and (4) contributing science content for project outreach. We
will notify you of specific opportunities and you can get involved in the
activities that suit your interests and schedule.

To get started, we need your help! Next week you will receive a survey from
our collaborator John Besley, a professor and social scientist from
Michigan State University who studies science communication and informal
learning. Please respond to the survey to help this project get off to a
strong start. Collectively we represent a relatively small sample size, so
we need everyone’s participation for the data to be valid.

Thank you. Please don't hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions
about the project.

Sincerely,
Sarah Garlick and Kathy Fallon Lambert


-- 
Sarah Garlick
Director of Science Policy and Outreach
Hubbard Brook Research Foundation
https://hubbardbrook.org/hubbard-brook-research-foundation

603-986-0686 office/cell
sgarlick at hubbardbrookfoundation.org
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