The importance of promoting scientific advocacy & outreach for trainees
Siara Kate Rouzer, Leanna Marie Kalinowski, Erin T. Kaseda
Abstract
Many scientific organizations, including the Society for Neuroscience, National Science Foundation, Nature Publishing Group, and American Association for the Advancement of Science, actively encourage their members to engage in scientific advocacy, describing public outreach as “a scientific imperative” and “key for the future of scientific research.” However, the authors of this article—three trainees specializing in neuroscience and neuropsychology - recognize that other early-career scientists may feel trepidation engaging in activities outside the laboratory or clinic. Outreach and advocacy are often undervalued as professional activities, and thus not rewarded or incentivized under traditional academic structures. Even with interest in outreach, early-career researchers may worry about time-commitments, whether activities will foster their career goals, and if their level of knowledge is adequate to promote science in a meaningful way. To address these uncertainties, we devised this article to explicitly state the benefits of scientific outreach, and to share a curated list of relevant outreach opportunities for trainees.