Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society

A COMMUNITY THRIVES FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

Sigma Xi and the Association of Science Communicators

"Give Together to Support Science and Art"

July 18 - August 12, 2022

We are raising dollars to support #SciCommMake, a unique program hosted by Sigma Xi that supports science and art.  

We need your help in meeting our goal, to provide the needed resources to help the public connect with science. 

#SciCommMake 

#SciCommMake is a unique program, organized by Sigma Xi and Science Talk, to bring together interdisciplinary teams of scientists, artists, and science communicators. The teams compete for funding to create innovative artwork and films that effectively and broadly communicate scientific evidence to the public.

#SciCommMake creates new alliances between interdisciplinary teams of scientists,  communication professionals, and artists in a competitive but collegial program. The goal is to foster and support innovative projects that combine the scientist’s research and the artist’s creative expression to showcase crucial scientific research and how that research impacts our lives. The teams compete for funding to create artwork, films, books, and other media that effectively and broadly communicate scientific evidence to the public. Each team carefully selects its target audience. We address thematic areas around emerging science with a strong societal focus, such as COVID-19   vaccines and climate change/climate equity. Past projects include a musical education program for Latinx youth to share their stories about living in the time of COVID, Instagram, and video campaigns to promote information and refute disinformation about the pandemic.

The proliferation of misinformation concerning scientific advances in recent years lays clear the need for the ability to clearly communicate scientific research in a trustworthy manner to non-scientists. Sigma Xi has taken the leap of faith to expand this project from one cohort per year to two cohorts in order to create an even larger community of science communicators. This doubles all expenses, from marketing to prize money to mentor stipends.

This project will further foster meaningful collaboration between scientists  and artists, empower them to connect with their local communities, and further our understanding of  how impactful communication drives science understanding and civic action

Underserved and marginalized populations are most at risk of being left out of conversations about scientific research due to the lack of diversity in STEM fields. They are also most at risk of being targeted by disinformation due to the history of abuse of science and medicine aimed at marginalized populations. This project will serve these populations through understanding how to clearly communicate trustworthy scientific research by including these populations in the teams comprising this project.

#SciCommMake will foster community building through the following impacts:  1) Empower scientists and artists to bring their collective experience and talent to bear on critical societal issues.  2) Use art creatively to connect people and science in an authentic and personal manner, such as a  video communicating fMRI brain imaging through dance to Indian audiences.  3) Provide tangible steps for non-scientists to take specific, evidence-based actions. For example,  one funded project showed preschool students how to be pandemic superheroes by masking and hand-washing.  4) Grow a network of scientists, science communicators, and artists who are able to collaboratively, effectively, and creatively communicate complex scientific information using evidence-based practices.