Research America - Civic Engagement Microgrant Program

Overview

<p>Civic engagement is a critical skill set for scientists. At any career stage, it is an opportunity to take part in our democracy while contributing a scientific perspective on important issues facing our communities and our nation. A total of 89% of Americans surveyed think it is important for scientists to inform elected officials about their research and its impact on society, based on a 2021 poll commissioned by Research!America.</p> <p>Civic engagement is an increasingly critical component to become the scientifically-trained leaders of tomorrow. Early-career scientists’ perspectives and creativity are uniquely valuable to the “public square’ and the development of innovative, sustainable policies that drive scientific and medical progress.’ Another reason that civic engagement skills should be prioritized as compared to other fields: scientific research is heavily dependent on taxpayer funding with almost 50% of basic research support coming from the federal government. Knowing how to communicate effectively with the public and policymakers about the value of science is absolutely vital to strengthening research as a national priority.</p> <p><strong>2021-2022 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT MICROGRANTS INITIATIVE</strong></p> <p>The 2021-2022 Civic Engagement Microgrant Initiative welcomes novel ideas and programs for early career researchers to build policy, advocacy, and communication skills and increase their level of engagement with elected officials, non-elected government officials, and community leaders. We are also encouraging collaboration between STEM scientists and social scientists through a track called Science Meets Science.</p> <p>The Science Meets Science track pairs social scientists (e.g.. anthropology, sociology, psychology) with STEM scientists (e.g.. life sciences, chemistry, mathematics). Competitive proposals are those that undertake civic engagement activities based on combining expertise across scientific domains.</p> <p>Science Meets Science projects will fall into at least one of the modules listed below. The role of both social scientists and STEM scientists should be highlighted in the project application.</p> <p><strong>2021-2022 MICROGRANTS MODULES</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Design your own event</strong> - This opportunity will sponsor in-person and virtual events, which can include thought-leader panels, roundtable discussions, webinars, op-ed writing workshops, and science fairs. We encourage your creativity!</li> <li><strong>Podcasts</strong> - This opportunity will sponsor equipment and advertising costs for launching a science communication or science policy-focused podcast. Please include the idea for your podcast in the description including who the target audience is and how you plan to reach your audience.</li> <li><strong>Data Visualization</strong> - Data visualization is the graphic representation of information, creating images to explain complex data patterns to audiences. Data visualization helps the viewer understand data in a digestible way, focusing on the major points the scientist wishes to highlight. Microgrant proposals should apply this approach to science policy topics of interest to the local community. Groups that submit in this category should use publicly-available data.</li> <li><strong>Startup Funding</strong> - Designed for new science policy groups, this provides year-long funding (with the possibility of a second year) to build interest among students, initiate programming, and develop sustainable local support. Due to COVID-19, all microgrant activities should follow university and local guidelines to maintain the health and safety of all participants and event attendees.</li> </ul>