93.9% of participants made progress due to WySCI.


"Your fantastic [grant application] resource comes just at the right time. THANK YOU!!! Now I have some homework resources for my student and I to review and reflect upon that will hopefully move the mark considerably more than I have in the last couple weeks.”
~Full Professor, UW Dept. of Geology & Geophysics


About WySCI

Mission: The University of Wyoming Science Communication Initiative (WySCI) was launched in 2017 as a grassroots, faculty- and staff-driven initiative to enhance the UW community’s capacity to effectively share science with the state and the world.

Vision: WySCI is a grassroots, campus-wide initiative which envisions a campus community that values, supports, and creates effective science communication and engagement.


How WySCI Supports SciComm + Broader Impacts at UW

See our 2022 year-end brief for highlights from WySCI programs, impacts, and more. 

WySCI was founded in summer 2017, as a result of several Initiative members offering science communication courses and/or obtaining grant funding which supports our work. Initially, WySCI offered courses and in-person workshops. Today, we are a 16-unit, campuswide effort which works to support, create, and value the following:

TRAINING

RESEARCH

CULTURE

Trainings:

UW-led research on SciComm & Broader Impacts including:

  • Campus-wide & course-based needs/perspectives surveys

  • Inter/transdisciplinary incentives & motivations research

  • Art-science integration research

  • Teaching of SciComm research 

Enhance internal (UW) awareness & valuation of SciComm and Broader Impacts:

  • Foster campus community & capacity around SciComm and Broader Impacts

  • Foster the creation of relevant awards & fellowships at UW

  • Enhance T&P credit for related work (for all employee types)

Weekly newsletter:

  • Curates global SciComm trainings & events

  • Distributes evidence-based SciComm research literature

  • Highlights SciComm-related jobs and experience opportunities

  • Features SciComm & Broader Impacts funding opportunities

Support for enhanced grant writing and Broader Impacts efforts

  • 100% of participants would recommend WySCI or already have

  • 93.9% of participants made progress due to WySCI

  • 78% of support requests are for research/funding 

  • 50% of support requests = faculty

Growth towards peer institutions for related services, support, etc.

  • Building out grant support

  • Consulting on broader impacts/research impacts in society

  • Advocating for capacity building support for UW Research and Economic Development

  • Collaborating on  communications strategies for REDD & Academic Affairs

 


Leveraging WySCI to Meet Next-Stage University Goals

UW’S UN-TAPPED EXPERTISE

UW possesses extensive, nationally and internationally recognized science communication, public engagement, and broader/research impacts expertise. However, this expertise remains disconnected, under-resourced, and under-leveraged.

LEVERAGING WYSCI 

We continue to investigate collaborations and partnerships with administrative units with the capacity to fully invest in WySCI. With such a strategic investment, WySCI would be well-positioned to enhance UW faculty, staff and student capacity to address UW’s Pillars and strategic directions. Specifically, we could sustain or expand programming which directly addresses issues of:

  • grant coaching and support;

  • public scrutiny of/mistrust in science;

  • inequality and democracy as they intersect with the recruitment, training, and retention of underrepresented and diverse minorities in STEM fields;

  • public, policymaker, and media engagement.

These foci have the potential to substantially enhance existing efforts at UW to conduct applied research, teaching, and entrepreneurial development for numerous UW priorities including earth systems change, biodiversity, rural health and quality of life (which intersects with matters of inequality and democracy), and economic development and energy-economy transitions.

SHOVEL-READY SERVICES

  • Science Communication Certification (operational; first cohort has successfully completed the program)

  • Grant-Writing Coaching/Consulting Service (currently runs as a drop-in; could be scaled considerably)

  • Demystifying the Media training (successful pilots have been run at UW and national scientific conferences)

  • Research on transdisciplinary scholarly activity and science communication at UW (research underway)

  • Transdisciplinary capacity-building through focused programs at main campus and AMK, Neltje Center, and UW Casper (e.g. Public Science Fellowship program, field courses, competitive internal funding for development of relevant programs, etc.) (Pilots are underway in collaboration with Sheridan College, the UW Creative Writing Program, and the UW Neltje Center.)

LOW-HANGING FRUIT

  • UW MENTOR Program - Mentoring toward Equitable, Novel & Transdisciplinary Outcomes of Research (actively fundraising; contact WySCI director for details or to offer support)

  • Minor in Science Communication (obvious next step from certification)


Meet the WySCI Staff & Board

Follow this link to meet the individuals who founded, govern, and make WySCI happen.


WySCI Partners

WySCI and its services are possible thanks to support from 16+ units on campus, including the Biodiversity Institute, College of Engineering and Applied Science, Communication & Journalism Department, Department of Zoology & Physiology, Department of Visual Arts, Ecosystem Science and Management Department, Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning, Graduate Student Network, Haub School of the Environment and Natural Resources and the Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, UW Extension, UW Science Initiative's Learning Actively Mentoring Program, UW Science Initiative Wyoming Research Scholars Program, Wyoming INBRE, Wyoming NSF EPSCoR, Wyoming Migration Initiative, and Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium.

Biodiversity Institute logoCollege of Engineering logoDepartment of Communications and Journalism logoEcosystem Sciences and Management logoEPSCoR logoGraduate Student Network logoHaub School logoUWyo Extension logouwabbreviated_v_vla_black.jpginbre-logo-2021_gold_grey_for-nametags.jpgWyoming Migration Initiative logoWY NASA Space Grant Consortium logo Department of Zoology & Physiology logo

 

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Contact Us

University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307)-766-1121

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