About the Leadership in Public Science Cluster

We create, test, implement and share ways to forge partnerships between scientists and communities.

Research + Dissemination

Our research connects the fields of citizen science, science communication, and science education in informal settings. We bring together scientists, communication professionals, social scientists and humanities scholars to develop theoretical frameworks and conduct empirical investigations. We want to understand how researchers can best contribute to the public sphere and how citizen science volunteers can best contribute to the scientific enterprise. We share our results with other interdisciplinary scholars, with practicing professionals, and with the leadership of scientific communities, to close the wide gaps between research, practice and institutions.

Practice

We support communities grappling with complex problems by bringing science out to them and inviting them into the scientific process. We create new participatory practices, opening partnerships between university-based scientists and constituencies beyond the university walls. We aim particularly to engage those in underserved communities.

Teaching + Mentoring

We share these insights by mentoring new and established investigators, helping them carry out public science projects. We prepare the next generation of scientist-citizens to ensure that the they have the commitment and capacity to share their knowledge and engage publics and policy-makers in the scientific process.

Long-term Impacts + Goals

As a result of our efforts and with the collaboration of faculty across the university, we help NC State lead the nation in imagining and carrying out a land grant vision fit for the 21st century: a campus where doing public science is seen as an ordinary part of a scientist’s career. Our programs create new opportunities for interdisciplinary research and teaching and enhance the University’s competitiveness for research funding. By lowering barriers and broadening access, we ensure science continues to shape and guide the way all of us view and interact with the world.