The Fundamentals of Science Communication and Translation

This training is by invitation only.

Resource Managers and Scientists realize they must go beyond publishing in peer-reviewed journals if they want their research to inform decisions about coastal management and build scientific understanding about relevant issues in both students and the general public. This training will provide instruction on communicating with the public, policy makers and educators and key Chesapeake Bay conservation and restoration issues.

The 2-day training will focus on teaching the skills needed to communicate with target audiences and cover the following topics.

• Message Development: Learn to distill the key points of research/data and frame them for different audiences. Create an understanding that message development and science translation is often done best in a collaborative manner.  Develop a message that is clear, accurate, and interesting. Different types of communication products will be developed. Actual data sets will be used to develop the key messages. Uncertainty and how to address it will also be discussed.
  
  
• Understanding your Audience: Four key audiences will be highlighted and we will discuss their motivations and goals and their background and knowledge about climate change science and information. The four audiences will be local government staff and elected officials; educators; and general public.

For each training a theme will be identified through which the communication skills will be taught. The training is a collaboration between the Maryland Coastal Training Program and NOAA Environmental Training Center.