Meeting Abstract

P2-3  Monday, Jan. 5 15:30  Science, communication, and the Broader Impacts criterion: a theory-based how-to for scientists striving to craft and evaluate impactful outreach activities SKRIP, M.M.; Univ. of Rhode Island, Kingston megan_skrip@my.uri.edu

The National Science Foundation (NSF) requires all applicants to include a statement about the “Broader Impacts” of their work, but guidance remains sparse concerning what makes a Broader Impacts activity truly “broad” and “impactful.” The proposed impacts of very different activities, furthermore, may be difficult to compare during peer review. Here I offer a new way forward for scientists struggling to competitively address the Broader Impacts criterion. Combining the experiences of successful practitioners and communication theory, I have synthesized a five-point framework of characteristics that I suggest can clearly and carefully define a Broader Impacts outreach activity’s potential for “impact,” no matter what form that activity takes. This “Broader Impacts Impact Framework” consists of five main factors—who, why, what, how, and with whom—and could be straightforwardly used by scientists and NSF during proposal writing and review. I describe the framework’s justification and implementation, and include examples of use focusing on ecological research dissemination and outreach.