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Scientific Communication

Scientific communication or SciComm, both written and oral, is the cornerstone of success in biomedical research, yet formal instruction is rarely provided. Trainees who engage in SciComm (including writing, conversational speaking, and rehearsed presenting) and who have positive expectations about doing so will be more likely to stay in an academic research career. Furthermore, by empowering mentors to be responsive to trainees in their SciComm skills, trainees will be more likely to persist in research careers and be more productive scientists.

Based on extensive SciComm research, we have developed training opportunities such as, funded training programs for postdoctoral and predoctoral trainees, trainee forums to learn best practices in SciComm and the job search, mentor workshops to get practice inevidence-based approaches toSciComm mentoring, individual consultations for mentors and/or trainees, and online resources and tips to help trainees and mentors.

Download the Scientific Communication Advances Research Excellence (SCOARE) faculty workshop flier. This workshop will provide practical strategies with mentors to help improve communication.

These factors influence a trainee’s intent to remain in a biomedical research career:

External support includes mentoring style and practices
Self-eﬀicacy is the sense of competence at SciComm tasks
Outcome expectations include the sense that SciComm is worthwhile
SciComm productivity includes past/emerging performance in SciComm
SciComm task interest comprises enjoyment of writing, presenting, conversing

Outcome expectations, productivity, and task interest directly predict intent to remain in a research career.

Description of Training

Based on decades of SciComm research, we have developed the following training opportunities:

Mentor workshops to get practice in evidence-based approaches to SciComm mentoring
Funded training programs for postdoctoral and predoctoral trainees
Trainee forums to learn best practices in SciComm and the job search
Individual consultations for mentors and/or trainees
Online resources and tips to help trainees and mentors

Upcoming Workshops and Registration

The SCOARE project consists of a workshop for mentors of doctoral and postdoctoral research trainees and a companion research study of workshop participants and their research trainees.

The companion research study involves pre- and post-workshop surveys to mentors and up to 2 of their trainees. Compensation for mentors is offered for completion of a post-workshop assessment survey. Compensation for trainees is offered for completion of each of the pre- and post- assessment surveys. The study is funded by the National Cancer Institutes of General Medical Sciences (R25 GM125640, Carrie Cameron and Shine Chang, MPIs) and has received approval from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Institutional Review Board (Protocol #2018-0206).

There are two ways to participate: 1) attend the workshop and participate in the study, or 2) only attend the workshop. During these free workshops on scientific communication skills, mentors will learn how to:

Accommodate trainee linguistic differences
Set expectations
Give actionable feedback on SciComm
Develop strategies to increase trainee SciComm productivity

Visit https://is.gd/SCOARE to register for any of the following upcoming workshops facilitated by Carrie Cameron, Ph.D. and Shine Chang, Ph.D.

Atlanta, Georgia (Georgia State University) - Monday, August 13, 2018 CLOSED
Boulder, Colorado (University of Colorado) - Thursday, August 23, 2018 CLOSED
Chicago, Illinois (Northwestern University) - Thursday, September 20, 2018 CLOSED
Houston, Texas (Gulf Coast Consortia) - Thursday, December 6, 2018 CLOSED
Houston, Texas (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center)- Friday, January 11, 2019

Study Phases

Over the last five years, we have completed two phases of our research in SciComm and we are now beginning the intervention phase:

Phase I

Unmatched data of predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees and mentors at MD Anderson and the Texas Medical Center area
Focus groups with mentors (N = 50) and trainees (N = 43)
Cross-sectional survey of mentors (N = 174) and unrelated trainees (N = 510)

Phase II

Matched mentor-trainee dyads, longitudinal data (4 time points over 18 months) National survey (33 states, N = 153)

Intervention Phase

In an effort to strengthen research career intention and help our diverse trainees, we now provide training for mentors. We guide mentors on how to develop their own best practices for SciComm mentoring by providing a highly interactive workshop and follow-up resources. As part of the project, we will be assessing the effectiveness of the workshop over the next 5 years.

Mentors

Sign up for SciComm training
1. Learning resources for mentors
2. SciComm facilitator training
Give trainees feedback on their scientific communication
1. Give responsive, construictive feedback on a continual basis (not just when there are deadlines)
2. Guide mentees in asking questions during meetings
3. Make sure mentees understand feedback and clarify concerns
4. Established high expectations for practicing oral presentations

Trainees

Work on SciComm goals
Practice SciComm (in front of non-expert and lay audiences)
Ask for targeted feedback from mentor and colleagues on SciComm tasks

Contact

For more information, contact Carrie Cameron, Ph.D., at CCameron@MDAnderson.org or 713-794-1476.

Investigator Profiles

Carrie Cameron, Ph.D. (Associate Director, CPRTP, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, MD Anderson Cancer Center), mentors diverse student & trainee populations, & in cross-cultural communication, linguistics, & language training.

Shine Chang, Ph.D. (Director, CPRTP and Professor, Epidemiology, MD Anderson Cancer Center), specializes in cancer prevention training, cancer epidemiology, & retention of women & minorities in academic research careers.

Hwa Young Lee, Ph.D. (Program Manager, MD Anderson Cancer Center), specializes in educational psychology & quantitative analysis.

Cheryl Anderson, Ph.D., specializes in social psychology, identity research, and psychometric measurement of survey instruments. She is a senior research scientist in the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program

Cheryl Anderson, Ph.D. (Senior Research Scientist, MD Anderson Cancer Center), specializes in social psychology, identity research, & psychometric measurement of survey instruments.

Jordan Trachtenberg, Ph.D. (Director of Assessment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) specializes in science communication pedagogy, engineering education, and biomedical engineering.